The Road to Recovery
by GoldenFlither
Summary: When Leonardo disappears, Raphael is forced to assume the role of leader. To find him, he needs to put his trust in the distrustful and turn former enemies into allies. What he doesn't realize is, in his efforts to do the right thing with nothing but the humble intention of saving his brother, he is also shifting the fate of a centuries-old war.
1. Solo Mission

Raphael woke from a dream to the sounds of crickets chirping. While not irritating, he wasn't entirely used to it, so he always woke up with a startle when the resonances didn't match the usual honking car horns and ringing police sirens above his sewer home. He tossed and turned in his makeshift bed made up of blankets and some pillows laid out on the wooden floor, until he realized he was well and truly awake.

He wasn't bothered. Tonight, he'd much rather be awake now than to oversleep. He turned himself over onto his side so he was facing the window, where moonlight poured through into the room.

It was a fine window, to say the least. Its silhouette from the moonlight extended across his blanket-covered body, revealing the ornately carved, intricately designed pattern of the shutters. The frame was even more sumptuous, carved wood painted red and gold. He almost felt like royalty.

Propping himself up on his elbow, he pulled out his T-phone and squinted at the bright screen.

1:32 in the afternoon.

He still hadn't gotten around to changing his phone's clock to his current time zone. But the calculation was easy: Just add an hour and then another twelve to switch from AM to PM or vice versa, and that was the current time. So 2:32 in the morning in Japan.

Raphael threw his covers off and stood quietly. As he made his way towards the extravagant window, he was careful not to step on his sleeping brother. He looked down as he crossed over Michelangelo's curled-up form. He frowned at his lack of peaceful expression on his face. Normally, when his brother slept, it was either such a deep sleep that his mouth would hang open and drool would dribble down the corner, or it was him nodding off to his happy place made of cotton candy skies and pizza meadows or whatever, as reflected by a goofy smile and a bit of purring.

But this sleep Michelangelo was in was filled with different dreams, unpleasant ones. It wasn't violent, but he shifted and turned in his sleep nonetheless, his lips pursed in a deep frown. The quiet groans of unease slipping out from time to time told Raphael that this one was a particularly frightening one.

He considered waking him, but he knew that once Michelangelo was awake, it would be near impossible for him to fall back asleep. Especially after a nightmare. Instead, he resorted to pulling the blanket further up over Michelangelo's shoulders. He wasn't sure if it worked, but the quiet groaning seemed to dull down some.

Not far from them, he heard Donatello shift in his own sleep, moving from his back to his side. The floor wasn't very comfortable, but he was happy his brothers were managing, especially with all that weighed on their minds.

Raphael stood up straight again and walked to the window, cautious of the slight squeak of the floorboards as well as the whine of the hinges as he pushed open the shutters. The view from their room was breathtaking. The strong moonbeams lit up the landscape. The village below was quiet; not a single light was lit. A stark contrast to sleepless New York City.

He breathed deeply to take in the fresh air. The last time he'd smelt air so clean and pure was over a year ago at April's farmhouse. When they were fleeing the Kraang.

It irked him that every time he had this chance to appreciate nature and peace, it was under horrible circumstances.

He looked to the horizon, where another mountain stood tall. This mountain did not hold a monastery like the one they currently dwelled in. Instead, along the West side of it, there was built a great establishment. Its design was relatively traditional – a combination of Asuka and Nara architecture, and it was difficult to confuse it with anything other than a Japanese temple to an onlooker's unsuspecting eyes. But its extensive use of stone and steel and its black and grey exterior gave it an ominous look the village had long been troubled by.

It was also difficult to miss the large Foot symbol painted in red on either side of the front. Raphael felt his knuckles tighten and his blood boil at the thought of Shredder in there, planning whatever wicked scheme he had next in mind to make their lives miserable.

* * *

 **~ Seven Days Ago ~**

"Raph, dude, snap out of it!"

Raphael hated this. If he was to be mind-controlled, he didn't want to have to witness the actions he had no power to stop, like a glitch in a video game while he struggled with the controller.

'I'm trying, Mikey,' Raphael screamed in a small corner of his mind. 'Just watch your butt!'

His talons swung out towards Michelangelo's head, but were expertly dodged. Raphael was inwardly urging them to keep their distance, but Shredder had trapped them in this warehouse. Prior to his brothers' not-so-secret arrival to his rescue, Shredder replaced Raphael's usual red mask with a black one, which Raphael's mind-controlled had gladly accepted. He'd watched in anguish as he threw his own mask in Leonardo's face, seeing it flutter down into his hands. He was glad Master Splinter wasn't there to see.

Shredder's control over him was a lot stronger this time. Stockman had improved his methods by allowing Shredder to incorporate brainwashing. Instead of allowing Raphael's anger to break him free, Shredder had instead used this anger to keep him locked in. He'd convinced him that this built-up rage was due to years of oppression by his brothers, an imbalance within him brought on by a lifetime of bitter resentment. This would not work had the chemical not further convinced his mind of this.

Raphael was gradually driving Michelangelo back with every attack.

"Come on, man, you can break free again. Think angry thoughts! Like, uh…o _oh_! Remember that time I spilt my pizza shake all over your favorite magazine?"

He avoided Raphael's side kick with a cross block. Raphael countered with a foot sweep, which Michelangelo recovered from by grabbing the rails before his shell hit the floor. He pulled himself back up, propelling himself into a double front kick. Raphael stumbled back at the impact to his shoulders.

"No? Okay, what about the time me and Casey put a cockroach in your miso soup?" He covered his mouth at his mistake. "Oh wait, you didn't figure that one out."

Raphael lunged again with an irritated roar.

Donatello and Leonardo, in the meantime, were occupied fighting off incoming Foot Bots, but Leonardo took the time to glare up at where Shredder stood atop the highest walkway. He would have attacked him directly had he not been accompanied – guarded more like it, by Tiger Claw, Rahzar, and Fishface.

"Getting a little repetitive there, Shredder?" he mocked. "What, because controlling my brother worked so well the first time, you thought you'd do it again?"

Shredder's laugh made his blood curdle. "Believe me, Turtle, this time you brother's loyalty will not so easily be won back."

Raphael overheard this, and the little bit of reason left in him fought like heck. His body hesitated only slightly, however, before throwing himself forward to lunge punch Michelangelo square in the face.

Donatello, his dear egghead of a brother, seemed to notice this after Michelangelo's efforts had failed.

"That's it!" Donatello exclaimed. "The mind-control must be over his other lobe!"

"You mean ear lobe?" Michelangelo chimed in, sitting up as Raphael redirected his attack at Donatello. "We don't really have those, dude."

"No, doofus, his brain lobes," Donatello clarified, blocking Raphael's incoming fist with his staff before sending him stumbling back with a back fist strike. "Last time, it was his left lobe that Shredder was controlling. Now, it seems to be his right lobe."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leonardo demanded, slicing up three Foot Bots.

"Each side of our brain is responsible for different types of thinking," he explained like he was giving a lecture, but also managing to simultaneously spin kick Raphael. "The left side does the more analytical, objective thinking, using logic and reasoning. Like me," he added proudly.

"Get to the point, Donnie."

Donatello looked at where Raphael was recovering from the kick to his chest, now staring daggers at him. "Because Raphael's right brain is normally dominant, his emotions drive his actions. Shredder must be controlling that side of his brain. So we'll have to appeal to his left side to really get through to him."

"Use logic and reasoning to get through to Raph?" Leonardo said smugly.

"It's a long shot, I know," Donatello agreed, bracing himself for Raphael's incoming attack. "But it may be our best option."

Leonardo nodded and broke through the Foot Bots, running towards Raphael.

"Yo Donnie, for the record, what kind of brain do _I_ have?" Michelangelo asked. Donatello left the question hanging so as to avoid hurting his brother's feelings.

Leonardo stopped on the walkway adjacent to and below where Donatello and Raphael were at a stand-off. He threw a couple of shuriken up towards him. "Raph, over here! We have a score to settle."

After deflecting both with his talon, Raphael turned his attention away from Donatello, his eyes narrowing upon locking gazes with Leonardo. There was a moment's pause, and Leonardo sensed that Raphael was waiting for him to make the first move. He did, bolting down the walkway he was on, away from Donatello. Raphael followed down his own walkway, upon catching up then leaping off and landing a few feet in front of him. Leonardo stopped dead in his tracks as Raphael moved to a battle stance, snarling.

Leonardo raised his blades, intense in his glare and stance.

After a moment's stand-off, Raphael was the first to strike.

* * *

Silently, Raphael wandered the halls of the monastery.

Upon their arrival to the centuries-old temple, they were graciously received with open arms by the monks that inhabited it. Raphael was pleasantly surprised to find that the monks were, although understandably daunted, quite accepting of their appearances. Their only shock was discovering who exactly the mutant rat was. The village had believed the entire Hamato clan exterminated, including Hamato Yoshi. So their astonishment quickly became delight, and it was nothing but a warm welcome from then on.

As he paced the hallways, Raphael used the flickering light from the lantern in his grip to see where he was going. He took small pleasure in the old-world simplicity of it, surrounded by centuries-old architecture and holy relics of his Sensei's ancestral religion.

Leonardo would be enthralled.

Raphael lowered the lantern and stopped in his tracks when he thought of his brother. He hadn't really stopped thinking about him, but there had been so much going on leading up to their arrival to Japan, the thoughts were mostly in passing or for the sake of motivation. It was only when the hustle and bustle took a temporary hiatus that he really had the chance to reflect.

Master Splinter had somehow convinced him to meditate more frequently now. Being treated to the hospitality of the monks, he mostly agreed to it out of respect for them and for Splinter. He pictured a younger Hamato Yoshi, perhaps even around Raphael's age, meditating on these same floors, wandering these same hallways. It was a reassuring thought.

While most of his days were spent on training, he grew to appreciate the relatively long periods of time he'd spend sitting with his Master and the monks, incenses lit around them, and simply focusing on easing his tension.

In truth, he was a lot better at it than he expected. The only times he would meditate – or at least pretend in order to make Splinter happy while really being bored out of his mind – back home was when there were no other pressing matters to attend to, at least nothing more than making sure Michelangelo didn't break anything of his while he was occupied. So given their current circumstances, he really should not have been able to sit still for more than a few minutes. But he knew that he needed to. He would be of no use to his team if he couldn't keep a sound mind. He needed to think straight. Calm his mind. Think like Leonardo.

After months of resentment for not being chosen as leader, Raphael had eventually gotten over his bitterness. It was a massive burden he could never take on. Well, that wasn't true; it was a burden he would never _wish_ to take on. He gave Leonardo a difficult time once in a while when he didn't immediately agree with his decisions, but in the end, Raphael enjoyed his freedom and accepted the importance of tactic and self-control when necessary. Thankfully, Leonardo had managed to find the balance that worked for Raphael, and they've since gotten along a lot better since he'd been made leader.

It was among the many reasons he missed his dorky, high-strung, fearless brother.

That afternoon had been especially tough. It had struck him and his family hard that the longer they delayed a rescue, the more suffering Leonardo had to endure at the mercy of their enemy.

Michelangelo hadn't handled it well. He trained the rest of the afternoon under Raphael's supervision and, when dinnertime rolled around, didn't work up even a bit of an appetite. Since leaving New York, all he kept prodding on about was where the decent pizza parlors were in Japan. However, by that evening, even with the underwhelming portions of vegetarian meals the monks provided them, Michelangelo took a single bite for nothing other than good manners before retreating to their room. Raphael later found him there already asleep.

Donatello stuck by Raphael's side for most of the day, attending his training session and aiding with his plan for their infiltration of Shredder's lair. In truth, their numbers were not enough at present to lead a proper offence, and they were becoming restless with every passing day. Donatello was slowly realizing this, and by the time it came to call it a night, he walked off aimlessly to their room, head hung in exhaustion and dismay.

Raphael had taken an entirely different approach. For what they lacked in numbers, he decided they would make up for in strength. He'd been leading training sessions for days, but that afternoon, he pushed especially hard. He only later blamed himself for Michelangelo's progressively diminishing energy and spirit; at the time, he thought he could inspire him.

He exhaled sadly, placing the lantern on a nearby table when he came by Splinter's room upon noticing the flickering glow of candlelight coming through the gap between the sliding doors. He wished that his aging Sensei was gathering some much-needed rest, but at the same time, he subtly hoped that a conversation would bring Raphael's mind some ease.

As quietly as he could, Raphael pulled one of the sliding doors open to peer through. At the center of the room sat his Sensei, as he expected, deep in meditation. Lit candles surrounded him, though nearly reaching the end of their wicks, wax pooling down over their holders.

For a moment, Raphael considered joining him in silence, perhaps connecting with him on a spiritual level as opposed to carrying out a verbal conversation. Although he was yet to master that. Certainly, there was the time all four of them were able to connect with Splinter during their time separated from him, but his detached spirit was what found them, not vice versa. Without Splinter guiding him, he doubted his chances of forming a proper connection without rousing him.

Still, he was awake, he was there, so he thought it was worth a shot.

Just as he was about to pull the door further out to enter, he heard Splinter's voice quietly speak. It was soft, practically soundless, but through the silence of the room, Raphael could make out his words.

"My son," he whispered, eyes closed. His brow furrowed, and then relaxed again. "Hear my voice. Follow the sound of my voice."

Raphael's eyes lit up upon realizing: It wasn't him Splinter was speaking to.

"Do not be afraid. I am always with you."

At that point, a tear escaped the corner of his closed eye, and his hands lightly clenched.

"We are coming, my son. Do not lose faith. I am with you."

Another tear lined his other eye. But Splinter continued, determined, letting the tears run freely now as he willingly shared in his son's suffering.

Raphael desperately wanted to stay. Sit by his Sensei's side as he connected with his lost brother. Try to form that spiritual connection himself and aid in comforting him in his time of need, through whatever he was enduring.

But instead, Raphael stepped back into the hallway and gently slid the door shut. For a moment, he just stood there, facing the door, palms pressed up against it. He stared into a void, pupils dilated. Eventually, he closed his eyes and leaned in so his forehead rested against the door. His teeth clenched, his breathing grew deeper and faster.

When he opened his eyes again, there was venom in them.

* * *

 **~ Seven Days Ago ~**

"Any other ideas, Donnie?" Leonardo shouted over his shoulder, keeping his feet solid on the ground as Raphael pushed his talons against his Katana.

Their efforts had failed miserably. The more they tried to appeal to Raphael, the more hopeless it seemed. Everything his brothers would say, Raphael would follow up with an equally rational response. In fact, it frightened them how cognitive he seemed the entire time. When Leonardo tried to remind him about all that Splinter had taught them about keeping his head and controlling his anger, Raphael responded with the hurtful words, "Splinter is weak."

Nobody noticed Shredder grin maliciously at this behind his mask.

"Not exactly," Donatello shouted back, tried to pull his fists out of Tiger Claw's grip on them after Donatello's repeated failed punches in his direction.

Leonardo finally managed to thrust him backwards. Raphael was quick to regain his composure and went into an offensive stance again.

Michelangelo, meanwhile, struggled to fend off Fishface and Rahzar. His optimism was dwindling the more he had to listen to Raphael's heated protests. This was rendering his defenses sloppy.

Donatello's spirits were broken with the knowledge of his previous theory being incorrect. Somehow, Shredder had done more than control Raphael's mind. Somehow, he'd brainwashed his brother. He was deeply disconcerted with the very possible fact that there may be nothing left to appeal to.

Leonardo refused to give up, however. So long as Raphael was there in front of him, alive and well, there was still a chance.

So he decided to give Raphael exactly what he wanted.

"Raphael," Leonardo said. "Listen to me. I know you've felt like nobody understands you. I get it. You've always had your own ideas on how to take down the Shredder." He lowered his Katana and moved to one side, clearing a path between him and Shredder, who still stood in the distance watching the exchange. "So, now's your chance."

Raphael snarled, but cocked his head.

"Go ahead, Raph. Lead the way. Let's take him down, once and for all."

That little corner of reason in Raphael couldn't have agreed more. But Leonardo underestimated Shredder's control over him. Or rather, he overestimated Raphael. But he couldn't blame his brothers. They knew nothing of the brainwashing.

There was only so much of it he managed to take on before finally breaking. Undoubtedly, Stockman's chemical concoction played a big part in that, but Shredder didn't let a single day of his imprisonment go to waste. Upon capturing him after a particularly unfair ambush on him and his brothers, Shredder was persistent in drilling into his mind how his brothers "mistreated" him or "didn't understand" him. No physical abuse. They were nothing more than words.

"You have a spirit in you Splinter attempts to suppress."

"Your anger makes you strong."

"There is no such thing as brotherhood."

Words. All meaningless, all worthless. But something in Stockman's chemical warped his mind to believe it. He wondered if this is what he had done to Spike. Years of complaining about his problems that eventually caused the newly-mutated Slash, by the effects of the mutagen, to lash out on his brothers. All because Raphael had unintentionally convinced him to do so.

Whatever Shredder had done to him, it worked. Raphael stood his ground, ignoring Leonardo.

From atop the brink of the walkway above them, Shredder began to laugh. "You amuse me, Leonardo. But unfortunately I grow bored." He raised his hand, jerking his fingers. "Raphael," he beckoned.

Leonardo's narrowed his eyes, and before he had a chance to fully turn around, he was thrust back by the swing of Raphael's arm, talons striking him across the face. He fell onto his back with a grunt.

As the stars left his vision, he shuffled back upon discovering Raphael looming over him. Donatello and an unconscious Michelangelo were dragged over and dropped on either side of him. Tiger Claw, Rahzar, Fishface, and Raphael enclosed them in a ring that was further closed off by the surrounding Foot Bots.

"Now," Shredder said, joining them, "perhaps it is finally time for your Master to join us."

Donatello and Leonardo kept silent, glaring up at him.

Shredder grinned, however, redirecting his gaze towards his most recent recruit.

Raphael nodded, pulling out his T-phone.

His brothers' eyes widened. "Raph, no!" Donatello cried. "Don't do it!"

Leonardo glowered as Raphael speed-dialed Splinter's emergency number.

Raphael, in anguish, listened to the line ring once, twice-

"Moshi moshi," came Splinter's urgent voice.

"Sensei, we need your help," Raphael's voice returned, guised in a state of panic. "The Foot has us outnumbered. Hurry!"

"No, Sensei, don't!"

Raphael quickly hung up before Leonardo could properly warn him.

Shredder laughed as he watched Donatello and Leonardo stare disappointedly at Raphael. "Well done, my _Chunin_ ," he said proudly. At this, Tiger Claw turned to look at his Master inquisitively. Shredder ignored it. "You have proven yourself a worthy soldier."

Raphael simply bowed in response. Inside, he was cursing up a storm for Shredder.

Leonardo was scowling at Raphael now. His impulses took over his judgement and he shot to his feet, unsheathing one of his Katana. Without thinking, he lunged at Raphael.

Raphael immediately blocked the Katana with his talon, but Leonardo pushed with all his weight. "Raph, come on, I know you can hear me. You have to fight this." He was pleading now. "You're better than this."

Although Raphael's eyes were stone cold, he also showed no sign of attacking Leonardo back. Noting this, Shredder nodded to Tiger Claw to step in.

"We're not your enemies; we're your brothers. Don't you remember?"

Still, Raphael's face remained hard.

Before Leonardo could continue, a strong hand gripped the back of his shell and threw him to the ground hard. His Katana clattered at Raphael's feet.

"Enough, cub," Tiger Claw growled.

Donatello, all the while, was keeping a close eye on Raphael.

"We have some time to wait for your Master to track you here," Shredder declared, turning to face the large window in the ceiling. "I would prefer no more disturbances."

Still watching Raphael at the corner of his eye, Donatello grinned.

"Raphael," Shredder said over his shoulder. "Eliminate them."

Just as Raphael stepped forward with mildly quivering legs, Donatello's voice rang out, "What's the matter, _Shredder_? Don't you have the guts to finish us yourself?"

Shredder slowly turned, somewhat dumbfounded not just by the challenge, but from which of the four in came from. He eventually smirked under his mask. "You are beneath me, Turtles. I save that pleasure for your Master."

"That's a little unfair considering how long it's taken you to capture us."

Leonardo eyed his brother worriedly. "Donnie, what are you-"

"Go with me," Donnie whispered before continuing. "And it was us who saved New York from the Kraang. And it'll be us to save it again when you release your mind control serum on everyone."

"Silence!" Shredder shouted. He stormed towards Donatello.

Donatello didn't let up. "So mind-controlling one of us is supposed to make you look all great and powerful? Is that really what it takes to get people to respect you? If you were really as great as you say, you'd have people lining up to serve you."

Shredder was looming over Donatello now. "You've run your mouth long enough, reptile."

"And you've hid yourself from the truth even longer." Donatello was running on pure adrenaline now. "When this mind-control plan of yours doesn't work out and you find yourself all out of allies, might I suggest hiding out in the Kraang's Technodrome? They seem to be the only race willing to help you. Or maybe you'll eventually have to replace them with mindless robots too."

Shredder's talons shrieked as they extended. "That's enough!"

Donatello glared at Shredder.

"If you truly wish to meet your end by my hand," Shredder raised his talons to deliver a final strike. "So be it."

Just as he was bringing his talons down towards Donatello, he felt his hand stopped suddenly mid-thrust. Shredder saw that familiar green at the corner of his eye. He prepared to strike down who he presumed to be Leonardo or even Michelangelo.

Only to find himself looking into the narrowed, venomous eyes of Raphael.

* * *

The night air chilled Raphael to the bone as he descended down the mountain. He was cold-blooded by nature, and although the mutagen had apparently made them much more tolerant of the cold than his turtle cousins, he still wasn't made to withstand this type of weather. The blood pumping rapidly through his veins, however, kept him untroubled by it.

He looked up towards the Swallow's Nest on the mountain. According to Master Splinter, it was intentionally built where the moonlight of early spring struck the mountainside strongest. It was so the swallow could find its way back to the nest. Although mildly fascinated by the history of this centuries-old monastery, he listened more so he could regurgitate the information back to Leonardo. For once, he would teach _him_ something about their Sensei's culture. He smiled at the thought.

He turned around and continued down the path leading to the village. It resided in a valley surrounded by mountainous grasslands and forests, isolating it from the rest of Japan in a preserve free of the complications of modern technology. If he hadn't known otherwise, he would think he had entered a different time period all together. All the more reason, upon looking at the Foot sanctuary, its appearance was so menacing.

Raphael was in full ninja mode, using the shadows to his advantage as he passed across the rooftops of the village. It was certainly different than crossing the rooftops of New York. He had to be far more careful on his feet as the homes were made of creaking, timeworn wood as opposed to sturdy concrete.

Upon reaching the edge of the small village, he quickened his pace towards the mountain that was home to Shredder's lair.

His mind was a whir as he began his quiet ascent. A small part of him told him this was a terrible, irrational idea doomed to fail. But the rest of his mind argued that it was the only possible way for their greater plan to succeed. It had taken a lot of internal debate and deliberation even back at the Nest.

But his decision was final:

He was going to get Leonardo out.

An idea that had crossed his mind was waking Donatello and Michelangelo to accompany him. In the end, however, he decided the risks were too great. Not only was it possible that they would disagree and warn Splinter, but he also didn't want to risk their lives as well should they fail.

No, this mission would be entirely stealth. He had no intention of confronting the Shredder on his own, however endearing the thought of taking down the Shredder with the element of surprise on his side seemed. He couldn't wait to see the expressions on his family's faces when both he and Leonardo greeted them in the morning.

As he was not adhering directly to the path paved to lead to Shredder's lair, Raphael had no discernable way of predicting if the next precipice he'd climb over would reveal that he'd made it. He had been climbing for over half an hour, and his adrenaline rush only kept him going for so long before he began running out of breath.

But all the long hours of training had paid off. While he needed a moment to stop and catch his breath, his muscles were more than ready to continue.

In time, he made it to the entrance. Pulling himself up onto the precipice, he quickly realized he was fully exposed. He swiftly ducked behind a large pillar to avoid any sensors or guards.

After a moment of lingering to see if he had been discovered, eventually, he peeked over at the entrance. The doors were massive, towering two- perhaps three stories in height. Large Foot symbols were painted in red on each.

No way he was going through there, he decided. His eyes darted around for other potential entry points. Seeing none in proximity, he moved from his hiding spot behind the pillar and rushed, through the shadows, towards the side of the establishment.

For a while, he wandered and searched the outer walls for an unlocked doorway or window, from time to time peering or listening into whatever would greet him on the other side. Most of the rooms were dark and silent, but given that most of Shredder's followers were robots, he wasn't exactly expecting heavy breathing and vigorous movement.

Eventually, Raphael found a short staircase leading into the ground. He leapt down to the bottom, where another door met him. There was no handle, therefore no lock to pick.

Perfect.

It was something he and his brothers had picked up on over a long period of searching the city for Kraang plots. Doors with no exterior handle, normally indicating it was an emergency exit only, more often than not went overlooked by anybody trying to break in. Those protecting the inside always knew this, therefore it often became the one room left unguarded.

Donatello had taught him how to use a sharp metal object to pry the door open. Normally, Raphael would ignore the lesson and bash the door open with his foot. But tonight, he silently thanked Donatello as he used his Sai to unlock the door.

He pushed it open, welcomed by darkness and the smell of rotting food and mulled wine. Raphael presumed that, in Shredder's absence, there was no one to keep the cellar stocked with fresh food. He covered his nose as he silently made his way to the other side of a cellar, where he saw the glow of light peeking through the doorframe.

As he approached, he heard the sound of robotic footsteps on the other side. As soon as they began to drift, only then did he gently pull open the door.

He saw, near the end of a long hallway, two Foot Bots making their way down. When they were far away enough, Raphael pulled the door open further. He flinched, face twisting in alarm, when the door squeaked loudly.

The Foot Bots lit up and turned. Raphael acted quickly, running as fast as he could towards them, jamming his Sai into each of their heads. Other than the sparks and the powering down of their gears, they went down quietly much to his relief. To be safe, he quickly dragged them back to the cellar, laying them behind a barrel.

" _Whew_ ," he whispered in the silence of the cellar. "Easy, Raph. Keep it together."

The hallways were dim and cast with shadows Raphael used to his advantage. Unfortunately, however, they were also long and complicated. As Raphael peered around the corner of another cross section, he rolled his eyes when he was greeted by the same sight as the last several times. He kept his vigilance, managing to shift silently past other Foot Bots. But he was getting frustrated.

"Come on, Leo, where are you?" he muttered to himself. He knew he was getting cockier and more comfortable roaming these halls. In his tedium, he had to keep reminding himself that blowing his cover would have serious consequences. Not just for him, but for his family.

Shifting towards the end of another hallway, he noticed this one was much wider. Even the ceiling seemed to raise. Flickering light was pouring in more intensely from the right side. He furrowed his brow as he drew nearer and peeked around the corner, into a large chamber.

His eyes widened when he found himself looking straight at the Shredder.

His mind instinctively told him to search for the nearest hiding spot. But Shredder had not even noticed him. He sat in a throne even more massive than the one in his lair New York. The design of the throne matched the building's exterior: elegant and elaborate, but menacing with the overuse of steel. It didn't look old at all; in fact, it looked as though been made in the past twenty years or so.

Raphael stared – rather glared at Shredder, who sat high and mighty in his throne. What Raphael would have given to sucker punch him just for the sake of it. At present, Shredder was distracted by something in his hand. A piece of paper, or a photograph, Raphael couldn't tell from this distance.

"Master Shredder."

Startled, Raphael quickly regained his wits and shifted back into the shadow as Tiger Claw entered the chamber. With his shell pressed against a large stone relic at the edge of the room, he strained to listen.

"What brings you here at this hour in the night, Tiger Claw?"

Tiger Claw descended to one knee and bowed. "Permission to speak freely, Master."

Shredder's eyes narrowed, but he nodded.

"I mean to ask about your plan," he explained. "Your decision to return to Japan has left your followers…uncertain."

"When have I required you to have such knowledge?" Shredder shot back.

Tiger Claw growled under his breath, enough only for Raphael to notice. "We trust you to lead us, Master Shredder. However, how do you intend on capturing the rat by fleeing to Japan without leaving so much as a trace for him to follow?"

At this, Shredder's brought his fist down hard against the armrest of his chair.

Tiger Claw fell silent. Raphael peeked around the relic curiously.

"Let me make one thing clear," Shredder said, standing up. "I did not flee. I do not fear Hamato Yoshi."

"I implied no such thing."

Shredder turned to face the large window on the adjacent wall, falling into bitter silence.

Tiger Claw stepped forward. "Master Shredder, I decided to serve you not only because we share a common cause for vengeance," he explained, "but also because I sensed a great dignity in you that would strike fear into even the greatest, most skilled Samurai." He stopped as he came to the staircase leading to Shredder's throne. "However, I now sense you are deeply troubled. Had we remained in New York, I would have proudly organized another attack on the Turtles to return honor to your noble Foot Clan-"

Raphael nearly jumped out of his shell when Shredder rammed his fist through the window pane with a roar, smashing it to pieces. Tiger Claw stepped back, startled.

Eventually, Shredder spoke bluntly, "My Clan is in shambles." His clenched fists shook at his sides. "With the Kraang's defeat, my supply of robotic Foot soldiers has ended. I have but a handful of them left."

Raphael took pride in knowing he and his brothers had a hand in that.

"I spent half my life rebuilding the Foot Clan when I discovered my true ancestry. Now…" Shredder drifted off for a moment as he removed the kabuto from his head and held it for viewing. "I fear I have damaged my forefather's legacy."

Tiger Claw responded, "Perhaps bringing the world to its knees was an ambitious endeavor. But you single-handedly struck down the Hamato and shifted the fate of your Clan. You have brought honor back to the memory of your ancestors after it was mercilessly stricken from them."

Shredder continued to inspect the helmet, running his fingers along the sharp edge of the maedate. For what seemed like ages, Raphael watched both Shredder and Tiger Claw stand in silence.

Finally, keeping his back to Tiger Claw, Shredder gave him his answer. "Tomorrow, we will go to the village in search of new warriors. If they are unwilling, we will threaten to burn their homes to the ground."

' _Jerk_ ,' Raphael thought, scowling.

Tiger Claw nodded.

Shredder continued, "We will remain here until we have reestablished a strong army. In time, we will then return to New York and bring Yoshi to his knees."

"And what of Leonardo?" Tiger Claw inquired.

Shredder stayed silent, contemplating an answer.

Raphael waited, eyes narrowed.

Eventually, he turned to Tiger Claw and said, "Keep him alive for as long as possible," he decreed. "I have no desire to use him. Let Yoshi and his sons suffocate in their unrest. Perhaps one day we will return to them a body."

It took everything in Raphael to stop himself from springing out of his hiding spot and taking them both out then and there. But he held it together, shutting his eyes tightly as he calmed his mind, letting his heart rate return to a normal, healthy pace. He listened intently as Tiger Claw left the room.

Shredder took his seat again, back straighter now, and placed his Kabuto to one side. Raphael peered around the relic in time to see him pull out what appeared to be a photograph, although he still could not see what it was of.

Nor did he care. As Shredder eyed the photograph, Raphael stealthily used the shadows cast around the room to leave.

It was time to put another dent in Shredder's plan.

* * *

 **~Seven Days Ago~**

"What do you think you're doing?" Shredder demanded, straining to untangle his talon from Raphael's.

Raphael said nothing.

Shredder managed to break his own talon free, stepping back to look at his brainwashed student. "What is the meaning of this?"

Again, Raphael stayed silent. This concerned Leonardo and Donatello and left Shredder bewildered.

"Raphael," Shredder demanded, "Stand aside. That's an order!"

At first they assumed Raphael had managed to break free of Shredder's control, but his clear hesitation in his stillness indicated otherwise. His eyes were no longer glowering, but wide and clouded over with uncertainty.

"Raph?" Donatello muttered cautiously.

Raphael's muscles were trembling slightly as his mind hazed over. He glanced down towards the talons on his arms as though he were seeing them for the first time. He felt nausea. His mind was so jumbled he was losing sense of where he was. The figure in front of him was both threatening and comforting. Undoubtedly familiar. Possibly familiar? His mind was so muddled and conflicted that he was beginning to lose feeling in his legs.

Shredder sensed this and glared up at Stockman-Fly hovering overhead. "Stockman!" Shredder yelled. "Explain!"

Stockman, humiliated, retreated back. "I told you, s-zzzir. The effectiveness of the chemical compound is dependent on the extent of ex-zzzternal manipulation." He dodged the incoming shuriken with a yelp. "There's nothing I can do, M-Mazzzter!"

Shredder growled and turned back towards Raphael, who still stood there. He looked as though he were about to collapse. "Recover your wits, _Chunin_!" he demanded, marching towards Raphael. "Remember what I taught you."

Deciding enough was enough, Leonardo jumped to his feet and, maneuvering himself around his confused brother, threw his own shuriken at Shredder.

Shredder blocked them. He shot irritably, "I've had enough of you, Turtle!"

Leonardo responded by swinging his Katana at Shredder, who blocked it with his armored arm. Donatello, keeping his ground, defended himself and the still-unconscious Michelangelo against Fishface and Rahzar.

Tiger Claw took to standing over Raphael, who stared up dazed at him. "You have been more trouble than you're worth, young one," he snarled, raising his claw to strike.

Leonardo saw this at the corner of his eye and, upon round kicking Shredder away momentarily, lunged at Tiger Claw. Tiger Claw sensed his advancement in time to hold him off, paws gripping at Leonardo's clenched fists as he pushed his full weight against him.

Growling, Tiger Claw shifted so he was using his own weight to knock Leonardo off balance. However, by doing so, his elbow struck the dazed Raphael in the side of the head, knocking him off his feet and over the brink.

"Raph!" Leonardo cried as he watched Raphael plummet to the ground below.

Although the fall was far from graceful, luckily, it was broken by a stack of cardboard boxes and crates, knocking them over. He supported his landing with his elbow pad. At the impact, though, his stomach lurched and began to dry heave.

One of the fallen crates knocked over a nearby propane tank, spilling its contents across the floor not far from Raphael.

Donatello noticed this, and upon seeing the electrical outlets disturbingly close to the spill, he properly panicked. "Raph!" he shouted hysterically. "Get away from-"

His warning was interrupted by the sudden eruption of flames as the propane met an electric spark.

* * *

Raphael regretted never learning Japanese. The signs with proper directions as to where he was were ultimately rendered meaningless. Still, with the destroyed Foot Bot at his feet, he continued to stand there, staring vacantly at the ink-blotted shodō.

Finally, Raphael moved forward, of the mindset that if the calligraphy would be indicative of nothing, then at least the gated doorway would. He lifted the large keychain he had taken from the Foot Bot, growling under his breath upon seeing the dozen keys hanging from it. Just how many did this one robot need?

"Gotta start somewhere," he muttered, holding up the first in the line and inserting it into the keyhole. With no luck, he moved to the second.

Finally, while fiddling with the seventh key, he heard a distinct click. He smirked as the gate swung open. Wasting no time, he practically flew down the narrow staircase.

When he reached the bottom, there was no mistake of where he was. The air was colder down here. The single steel door that stood in front of him was thick and unwelcoming, rusty bolts anchoring it into stone, a stark contrast to the other doors he'd seen.

He lifted the keys once more, groaning again when he remembered the tedious process. This time, however, he was lucky enough to select the correct key after only the second shot. He held his breath when he heard the click, silently turned the knob, allowing for the door to slowly sway open. Mentally preparing himself for whatever greeted him inside, he pushed the door further and entered with caution.

The room was pitch black except for the hallway light trickling in. Given the unevenness of the ground and walls, he had trouble distinguishing whether it was built from scratch or dug into the mountainside. The air was damp and cold; clearly little to no time was spent to make this room habitable. And given the chains bolted to the walls carrying cuffs, that didn't seem too far-fetched.

Raphael would have cringed at the mere thought of one of Shredder's enemies subjected to such isolation. In reality, all he had to do was look towards the center of the room, and his heart leapt into his throat.

There, by his wrists from a chain bolted up onto the ceiling, hung his brother.

"Leo…" he wheezed before his breath suddenly hitched. He became nauseated at the grim sight, eventually staggering forward in an uneven run.

He slowed and stopped directly in front of him. For a moment, all he could do was stare, eyes wide and green irises pronounced due to constricted pupils. He felt his stomach lurching, thankful it was empty. He looked up at where the shackles around Leonardo's wrists were chained to a clasp on the ceiling. The thought infuriated him, but as his eyes scanned the shallow claw marks, dark bruises, and small stab wounds that covered his brother's limp form, he couldn't help but be reminded of the punching bag back in their lair.

All of his meditation very nearly went out the window. His clenched fists tightened, his jaw locked into a perpetual scorn, and he felt prepared to tear his enemies' limb from limb.

But he kept his head and moved closer, raising his hand to lightly tap Leonardo's cheek, on the side without the large claw mark running across his face. "Leo, bro, wake up. It's Raph."

As Leonardo began to slowly stir awake, Raphael wasted no time contemplating getting his brother down. He was strung up so his feet were only an inch from the ground – if he extended his toes, he could probably just scuff the floor. Given the state of his wrists, Raphael could only imagine Leonardo's frustration desperately trying to take the strain off of them.

Raphael had just moved to Leonardo's side to better inspect the chain when he heard, "Raph…?"

"Yeah, man, right here. I'll get you down in a sec."

Raphael was intentionally trying to be as frank as possible. He was hopeful that, although Leonardo was physically wounded, there was no psychological damage. And he figured the best way – or at least the most natural way for the two of them – to assess this was to behave like his usual brisk, impetuous self.

"How…"

"Long story. Don't worry, I'm taking you home. Just hang on." He was twisting his Sai through one of the chain links.

Leonardo responded under his breath, "'Hang on,' he says."

Raphael chuckled. His heart filled with such joy to know that his brother was still with him given the circumstances.

When the chains finally broke, he quickly moved to catch Leonardo, letting his arms fall over his shoulder, wrists still bound together by the shackles. Leonardo groaned as he was carefully set down on the ground, his legs unable to sustain his weight just yet.

"You okay?" Raphael asked, maintaining a gentle grasp of his brother's upper body to keep him upright.

Leonardo's eyes were squeezed shut as he waited for his body to recuperate from the movements irritating the inflicted injuries, but ultimately he nodded assuredly. "Yeah," he said under his breath. He twisted his hands in their restraints.

Raphael was quick to grab his Sai off the ground and pry the sharp end into the single chain link connecting the shackles together. It gave rather quickly; although he could not remove the cuffs, his brother would at least have mobility of his arms.

Raphael's hand moved to Leonardo's shoulder, eyeing him with genuine concern. "Ready?"

Leonardo, after a few controlled breaths, looked up to meet Raphael's eyes. He nodded again, this time more confidently.

Raphael scanned the room until he caught sight of Leonardo's Katana blades laying on the floor in the corner. In plain view, probably intentional to taunt their owner. Raphael rushed over, grabbed them, and hurried back to sheath them into the holsters still loosely strapped to Leonardo's shell.

He stepped back to get a better look at his brother. "That's more like it," he smirked.

Leonardo smiled. "Thanks."

"All right, let's go." With that, he moved to help Leonardo to his feet, gripping his elbow and wrapping his other arm behind him to grasp his opposite forearm. Allowing Leonardo to lean into him, they successfully got him to stand and move towards their escape. Gradually, Raphael sensed them speeding up to a regular, moderate pace. He would take it.

They came to a stop in the doorway, proving to be a bit too sudden for Leonardo as he flinched.

"You good?"

He felt his brother try to free his hand from Raphael's grip of it over his shoulder. "Yeah, it's not you. I think my wrist is sprained."

Raphael let go immediately. "Sorry."

"I'll be fine." Leonardo craned his neck so he could peek through doorway. "Do you know the way out?"

"You bet I do, Fearless." He grinned smugly. "Just follow my lead."

Leonardo arched his brow, the corner of his mouth tightening into an amused half-smirk. "You're loving this, aren't you."

"To be honest," Raphael admitted as he picked up the pace again in the direction of their escape, "not really."

With a fair amount of their combined efforts, they made it to the top of the staircase. It was only upon noticing the demolished Foot Bot that Leonardo suddenly asked, "Wait, where's your backup? Are the others…"

"They're fine. They're, uh…" His voice hesitated as he met Leonardo's concerned gaze. "They're on lookout."

Lucid Leonardo wouldn't have been even mildly convinced of that terrible lie, and he would have showered him with a whole slew of more questions. But the physical fatigue weighing down his body combined with the trust he had for Raphael left him unwilling to pry the answers out of his brother. Raphael was both grateful for and troubled by that.

When they turned another corner, they were met with the sight two Foot Bots approaching. They ducked back behind the corner. Raphael leaned Leonardo against the wall before pulling out his Sais, waiting for them to get near.

Just as they passed, oblivious to their presence, Raphael jammed his Sais into each of their chests. Sparks flew, metal limbs hit the ground.

Both turtles scanned their surroundings for any other incoming Foot Bots. "We gotta move," Raphael whispered, sheathing his Sais and stabilizing his brother's weight against him. "Come on." With that, he guided Leonardo through the hallways.

He slowed their pace as they advanced towards Shredder's chamber, now much darker. Still, he moved so they were deeper in the shadows, crawling along the wall of the corridor. He noticed Leonardo's muscles stiffening also as he most likely recognized the room they were approaching.

'It's all right,' Raphael told himself. 'All we gotta do is sneak past, and the rest is smooth sailing.'

Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and smack himself in the face for thinking so stupidly.

After leaning Leonardo against one of the pillars between the hall and the entryway, he was about to do a proper scan of the chamber to ensure vacancy coincided with the darkness. But just as he exited the shadows, he felt a strong thwack at the back of his head. He cried out from the pain and surprise of it before receiving a blunt kick to his gut, sending him flying backwards. He landed roughly on his carapace, knocking the wind out of him.

"Raph!" Leonardo called. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother stumbling out of his hiding spot. Before Raphael could stop him, Leonardo was also knocked to the ground, sprawling violently only feet away from him.

As Raphael scrambled to his hands and knees and crawled to Leonardo's side, torches lit up all around them, revealing the so-called "handful" of Foot Bots surrounding them, joined by Tiger Claw and Stockman. Fishface and Rahzar also stepped out from the darkness of the hallway.

"And here I thought Japan would be no place for a fish," Fishface droned, grinning manically as Raphael helped Leonardo to his feet, both glaring towards him.

"There's no escape for you, Turtles," Rahzar sneered.

The brothers stood back-to-back, ready to fight, as the mutant soldiers and Foot Bots closed the circle around them.

"Raph?"

"Yeah?"

Leonardo turned his head slightly to glance over his shoulder. "You came alone, didn't you?"

Raphael didn't respond, giving Leonardo his disappointing answer.

* * *

 **~Seven Days Ago~**

The fire had spread rapidly, nearly engulfing the entire warehouse. Donatello hovered over an unconscious Michelangelo as Leonardo rushed to join them.

"Leo, we gotta get out of here!" Donatello yelled.

Leonardo nodded. "You take Mikey. I'll get Raph."

Donatello glanced below them at where Raphael was kneeling on the floor in the middle of the warehouse, hunched over in a stupor. He eventually nodded and picked up Michelangelo in a fireman's hold. "Good luck," he said before bolting towards the open window in the ceiling, leaping out to safety.

Leonardo watched them until they were out of sight before hopping off the walkway on which he stood, down to the ground where Raphael was left alone.

Raphael's chest heaved in and out, the nausea taking its toll. The contents in his stomach were acidic in his mouth. His ears were ringing, barely registering the inferno or falling debris around him.

"Raph!" he made out a cry. It seemed miles away, but when he looked up, he saw that Leonardo was kneeling right next to him. Only then did he register the hand on his shoulder. "Raph, we gotta go!"

He was still dazed, but he nodded and got to his feet shakily. While his conscience knew this was his brother, the rest of him was still straining to distinguish friend from foe. Whatever Stockman's chemical was, it was not entirely eradicated from his system just yet. His head was pounding as he struggled to keep balance.

Leonardo grasped his arm, keeping him upright. He gave a small tug forward and pointed with his other hand towards the newly-formed hole in the wall, leading outside. "Come on, the exit's there," he urged.

Raphael glanced up at their escape, noting the dangerous flames in his peripheral vision. Irrespective of allies and enemies, this was about survival. So, after a second's effort to move his unsteady legs, he broke into a run. Leonardo followed close behind him, dodging falling objects, crates, and destroyed equipment.

They were barely halfway across the warehouse to their exit when Leonardo suddenly felt his legs restricted. He gasped as he lost his footing, falling forward and hitting the ground hard.

Raphael heard this. He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

Leonardo grunted as he looked back at his feet, now tied together with rope. He turned onto his backside and reached forward to unravel it.

However, he stopped as a flickering shadow was cast over him. He looked up, only to see Tiger Claw growling down at him.

Although his mind was still teetering, Raphael's true voice momentarily found its way to the surface. "Leo!" he called back, dashing back for his brother.

He didn't get far. Suddenly, a small explosion beside him tore his attention away from Leonardo and to a massive stack of heavy crates knocked off balance and toppled down towards him. Without enough time to move out of the way, he instead instinctively fell down to his knees and wrapped his arms around his head as they came crashing down on top of him.

If his head was pounding before, it was splitting now. The ringing intensified so he heard nothing else around him. He thought maybe he heard Leonardo's panicked voice calling his name, but there was no way to be sure. Slowly, his world blackened into nothing.

Raphael came to, though only for a moment. His eyes fluttered open, and he found himself staring up into the night sky, a faint orange glow on the horizon. The ringing in his ears had dulled so he could hear what he presumed were police and firetruck sirens roaring in the distance. His head still ached, his drowsiness returning. Just as his eyes began to close again, he barely made out the outline of a cloaked figure kneeling over him, barely felt their hand touching his shoulder as he drifted off, thinking of his brothers as he did.

"Splinter," he wheezed before his world faded around him.

* * *

Somehow, Raphael and Leonardo had managed to hold their own for this long. Foot Bot parts were now littered around their feet. Most of it was Raphael's fine work, admittedly, but he had no desire to brag about it.

Amidst his satisfaction after taking down a handful more, though, came concern when he glanced over at the stock-still mutant goons behind the frontline of Foot Bots. They seemed far too calm for his liking. Even the mindless robots seemed to only be advancing in small waves. It hit Raphael: This was meant to be nothing more than a distraction.

He spun around to check on his brother, who was withdrawing the blade of his Katana out from a fallen Foot Bot's chest as more continued to surround him. His limbs were visibly trembling - certainly not out of fear, rather physical exhaustion. He tightened his grip on his weapons, preparing to strike the next opponent to advance. He had no chance against them all, but he would go down trying.

Raphael wasn't sure how, but as soon as he turned around to face his own challengers, he found that the shadow of Tiger Claw was cast over him. Before he could brace himself, he was struck by a solid straight punch to the face, intending to daze him rather than knock him out. It worked; he fell backwards and saw stars.

Leonardo looked away from the Foot Bots surrounding him and towards his brother. "Raph," he called, "Get up!"

Raphael rolled instead, out of the way of the second punch directed at his face. He rose to a cat stance – seemed appropriate – and raised his fists. But to his surprise, Tiger Claw showed no intentions of attacking further. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk, which Raphael desperately wanted to smack off. His instinct, though, told him to be alert.

He raised his guard. Breathed in. Sharpened his senses.

"Five o'clock!" Leonardo's voice rang out.

With that, he sent a back kick behind and slightly to the right, hitting Fishface square in the face without even glancing back. Fishface grunted as he crashed to the ground.

There was a moment's pause, and Leonardo and Raphael exchanged a quick satisfied look. But their opponents were too still. Not a single Foot Bot had so much as advanced towards Leonardo, and Tiger Claw's attack on Raphael was regulated, seemingly only to incapacitate. There was not even a viable effort to physically restrain either of them. They simply stood there. Had Leonardo been in full fighting form, both he and Raphael could have been out of there by now, leaving mangled Foot Bots and stunned goons behind them.

They both knew: They were waiting for their Master.

As if on cue, Shredder menacingly walked into the room. All of his followers straightened at his presence while Raphael and Leonardo's blood ran cold. The brothers inched towards each other as he drew near.

"Raphael," Shredder acknowledged, coming between Tiger Claw and Rahzar. "Good of you to join us." His eyes shifted, observing the scene before him before returning to his enemy. "You've come a long way to meet you end."

Raphael pulled out his other Sai, keeping his glare directed at Shredder the whole time.

"At least now you may take comfort in perishing in each other's company."

His breathing had intensified into heavy grunts and growls with each exhale, and Raphael finally reached his threshold. He lunged at Shredder, hollering in a fit of rage.

"No, Raph, don't!" Leonardo urged him.

Mid-run, Raphael suddenly found his arms restrained to his sides. He lost his balance and fell forward, now struggling against the ropes wrapped around his upper body.

Tiger Claw lowered the gun.

As Raphael wriggled and twisted aggressively, Shredder loomed over him. "Foolish. Impulsive!" he stated, the feedback given as though Raphael were his own student. But he wasn't anymore. "You were unwise to come alone, Turtle. Who will come to your aid now?"

Suddenly, Shredder was stumbling back, deflecting the incoming Katana aimed at his head. As he was regaining his composure, he was struck again by the heavy swing of another Katana blade at his chest. Shredder bellowed and clutched his shoulder.

Leonardo, still aching, weak, and now overexerted, quickly staggered to Raphael's side. He fell to his knees with a small grunt and used his remaining blade to slice through the ropes binding Raphael's arms to his sides.

Raphael pushed himself up off the ground. "Ninjas don't throw away their weapons, idiot," he muttered, grinning.

Leonardo smiled and shrugged in response.

Shredder's goons were ready to retaliate, but Shredder had signaled to Tiger Claw to stand their ground nevertheless. He proceeded forward once more as though nothing had happened, observing as the brothers eyed him irately and moved to the other's defense.

Brothers.

Shredder scowled inwardly at the notion. In truth, he had seen a lot of his younger self in Raphael, jumping to Yoshi's defense when the older kids in school bullied them because of their all-important father. Inferiority complexes, all of them. At least that what Yoshi would tell him whenever Saki proposed a plan of retaliation. He'd try to calm him down, dismissing the bruises and damaged pride, tell him to forgive and forget.

He growled. "Coward!" Blinded by wrath, he thrust his blade-covered fist towards them.

The brothers leapt in opposite directions to avoid it. Leonardo's landing was far less graceful, his legs buckling under him. Supporting his weight with his hands planted on the ground, he had little time to prepare himself for Shredder's incoming attack.

Raphael was on Shredder before he had the chance to land his fist, jabbing the blunt end of his Sai into the side of Shredder's head from behind him. Shredder responded by driving his elbow back into Raphael's chest. Landing on his shell, Raphael clutched his chest as he gasped for the air he'd lost by both the strike and his landing.

Gathering all the strength he could muster, Leonardo hurriedly stood and raised his Katana. Only to have it knocked out of his grasp mid-swing with one rapid swoop of Shredder's talons. He lost his balance again and fell to one knee, watching as his signature weapon flew across the room, nearly stabbing one of the still Foot Bots.

Raphael reached uselessly towards his brother when Shredder struck Leonardo so violently in the side of the head that it sent him colliding with the ground, out cold.

"No!"

Shredder stared down at Leonardo's now unconscious form, fists still clenched.

Raphael spun his Sais and raised them in plain view. "Shredder!" he bellowed in anger.

Finally, Shredder did turn to face him. There was a moment where neither of them spoke or acted, though it wasn't for a lack of desire on Raphael's part. Fire reflected in his eyes as he stared Shredder down.

Shredder grinned under his mask, taking a single, composed step in Raphael's direction. "Do you know what the sharp end of your weapon is called, Turtle?" he asked. His voice was calmer now, almost sadistically so.

Raphael had no interest in waiting for him to finish, instead thrusting himself at Shredder. Shredder, almost effortlessly, dodged his fist, ripped the Sai out of his grasp, and threw Raphael back in Tiger Claw's direction. Before Raphael could regain his poise, strong, furry arms were looped tightly through his own from behind him, pinning him back. Raphael grunted loudly as he attempted to pry himself away.

Shredder raised the newly-obtained Sai into his view, eyeing the tainted weapon engrossedly. He faced Raphael, emphasizing the sharp edge of the weapon. "The _saki_."

In fact, Raphael hadn't known that – perhaps doubting its truth – but he had no concern for the unfortunate coincidence. He was more fixated on Shredder turning his attention back to his brother lying motionless and vulnerable behind him.

Raphael twisted aggressively. "Shredder, face me!"

Shredder ignored him. He strode towards Leonardo, expertly flipping the Sai and gripping its handle, preparing to plunge its prong into his victim.

" _No_!" Raphael cried. "Leo!"

Leonardo didn't stir, not even as Shredder raised the Sai to deliver a final strike.

Suddenly, Shredder found himself off balance when a figure landed on his shoulders from above. As quick as the wind, this figure hooked the Sai in his hand with their own sword as they leapt up and spun. This twisted Shredder's arm to one side, further throwing his balance off. When the cloaked figure landed in front of him, between him and Leonardo, they quickly followed up with a round kick to Shredder's chest, sending him stumbling back.

Shredder grunted angrily as he regained his composure and prepared to retaliate. "Fool!" he shouted, "Who are you to interfere with…"

His voice trailed off when, as the figure stood up straight, the hood of the cloak slipped off to reveal Karai.

* * *

 **~ Three Months Ago ~**

Somehow, nobody but Leonardo knew how, Karai had been cured. It had cost Donatello another snake bite, but it was nothing the poison mantra couldn't handle. Michelangelo was of course ecstatic, and Leonardo couldn't be more thrilled with seeing her out of Shredder's control and on their side once again. Raphael went along with it, knowing that Splinter's worn-out heart would be strengthened by his daughter's return.

Raphael hadn't seen much; he'd been too busy fending off Rocksteady. Shredder, being the coward he is, watched from the sidelines as Leonardo confronted Karai. At first it seemed useless, and Raphael was going to yell at Leonardo to quit trying and watch his own back.

But something had changed in Karai. She wasn't fighting him, wasn't even arguing whatever Leonardo was saying. Soon, Shredder had noticed this, particularly when she dropped to her knees and started heaving in and out strangled breaths. Raphael had to ward off another attack by Rocksteady. Eventually, he sent the communist rhino over the edge of the rails of the Auman factory walkway. When he looked back over, the sight that greeted him was Leonardo kneeling by Karai's side, the blade of his Katana spearing a mind-control worm on the floor.

Needless to say, Shredder wasn't pleased, but deeming Karai in no condition to confront him, the four of them managed to ward him off in time to get Karai out of there in a cloud of smoke. They heard Shredder's enraged scream from behind them as they headed home.

Master Splinter, of course, was overjoyed. He welcomed his daughter with open arms and arranged for a place for her to rest. She was led by Michelangelo, less for direction and more for balance as she was still somewhat shaky on her feet from also having been cured of her mutation. Donatello, free of the poison, joined them so he could do a proper health assessment once she was settled. Splinter invited Leonardo to join him in the dojo, most likely to congratulate him.

And Raphael was left alone in the middle of the lair to watch it all unfold. As he stood there, his fists were clenched, his mouth was set in a dissatisfied frown.

This wasn't right.

He waited until the next day, but even then it was difficult to find a moment alone with Karai. Michelangelo was surprisingly the one to spend the most amount of time with her. She still seemed dazed, so she went along with it when he served her breakfast and gave her a tour of the rooms she had not seen upon her last stay with them. Eventually, Master Splinter told him to allow her some time to "come to terms with herself." He saw the visible disappointment in Leonardo's eyes, but agreed this was best. She later joined Splinter in the dojo, where they stayed for over two hours. Raphael was having a tougher time keeping his patience than Leonardo was.

Finally, by that evening, Karai was left alone. Properly alone, not with somebody lingering around nearby. She was just leaving her room to brush her teeth when Raphael decided to intercept her.

Karai stopped in her tracks. "Raphael," she eventually acknowledged. This would be the first conversation they've had since before her mutation. In fact, this was their first one-on-one since the day she first found out the truth about who her real father was.

"Is this all part of it?" Raphael finally said. His arms were folded across his chest, and he was glaring daggers at her.

She blinked innocently. "What?"

This peeved Raphael. "Don't give me that. The last time you made those eyes was when you were leading Tiger Claw to our lair."

Karai had been out of it for a while, but it was those words that, to even her own surprise, brought reality crashing down. She shook her head quickly. "No…"

"I don't know what your game is, sister. I get the whole mind control thing – it sucks big time – but you're not out of the woods yet." As he confronted her, he noticed Karai's hands subtly raised in self-defence. "Just tell me this: Why did you go running back to daddy that night?"

Her confusion returned.

"That same day we broke you out, you go rushing back in. What was that, your plan to get _captured_ ," he emphasized the word sardonically with finger quotations, "so you could lead us into a trap? Didn't go too well, did it?"

"No…no, you're wrong, Raphael. It's nothing like that."

"Then what?"

"I was angry. I went back for revenge. I-" she huffed, trying to find the words. "I didn't mean for you all to come after me."

"You seriously didn't expect Leo to go after you."

"Listen, I wasn't thinking, all right?" Now he could see Karai trying to reach his level, clearly becoming aggravated with his accusations. "Last I checked, you're no stranger to rushing into things out of anger."

Raphael remained silent, mostly because he couldn't dispute that, but he wracked his mind for a proper retort.

But Karai continued after an exhausted sigh, "I made a mistake. I've made a _lot_ of mistakes. I should have listened to your brother a long time ago, and I should have listened to Splinter that night." She found the courage to look at him straight in the eye, her eyes filled with remorse. "But I'd like to work on fixing them now, if you'll let me."

Raphael sensed sincerity. However, he knew not to trust it. His brothers had, and it nearly cost them many times. His expression still hard, he looked into her pleading eyes for a moment, and finally said, "I'm not sure I can."

Karai was taken aback. He explained, "You've let us down too many times. You're way too unpredictable, and I really can't trust you around my family." He was callous in his delivery. "Not to mention your little accident at Stockman's lab caused Shredder to lash out big time. Because of you, he teamed up with the Kraang, took over New York, nearly waxed off our Sensei, and ambushed and pounded Leo within an inch of his life."

Karai's eyes were wide and glossy now. "What?" she whispered.

Raphael quickly realized that information may have been intentionally kept secret from her by the others, but he felt compelled to tell her of all the damage she'd caused. "We thought we'd lost Splinter." He heard his voice crack slightly at this statement. "And Leo…" He had to look away for a moment, the painful memory taking its toll. "Shredder and his goons did a good number on him. We thought he'd never wake up, and even if he did…"

Raphael didn't mean for his voice to soften up. He needed to remain as aggressive as possible to get it into Karai's head. He didn't want her sympathy; he wanted her guilt.

Karai's eyes were brimming with tears. Her gaze was directed into whatever empty space lingered in the direction of Raphael's shins. "I…I didn't know…"

"Yeah, well, now you do. Even if you have come around, sooner or later, Shredder's going to want to take revenge again. And we don't need you turning against us again, or getting yourself into more trouble." He locked gazes with her, expression stern, now standing less than a foot away from her. "If you're going to stick around, fine. But understand this, Karai: If you hurt my family again, I won't show you any more mercy than I already have."

These were the words Raphael left her with before storming off.

The next morning, there was a panic in the sewers when Michelangelo first noticed Karai was gone. Of course, it was difficult not to come to negative conclusions, but eventually Master Splinter discovered the note on the wall in the dojo. It was in Japanese, but he translated it as he read it out.

Father,

I have left to set things right.  
Do not worry, I have not gone for vengeance.  
I will see you all again soon.

Miwa

The formality and brevity of it disturbed them. All the love and support they'd shown her not even marginally reflected in her words tore his brothers apart. Raphael guessed perhaps it was lost in translation, but when he looked into his Sensei's eyes, he saw that he too was heartbroken.

Eventually, however, Master Splinter began to take comfort in the note. Leonardo led searches, scouting the streets and the perimeters of Shredder's lair for any signs of her. He feared she'd been captured again. As he was making plans for a rescue, Splinter called for a moment of his time. This conversation was not in private, for he knew how much Michelangelo and Donatello worried as well. He assured his sons that he did not worry for Karai, sensing that she knew what she was doing, and that she would be all right.

Raphael had remained calm and silent the entire time his family was scrambling around to understand. He wondered just how much his conversation had to do with her leaving.

More importantly, he wondered where she'd gone and what she was up to.

* * *

 _Cover image by RadioJane on DeviantArt_


	2. Confrontation

Karai looked directly into Shredder's eyes, unfaltering and controlled. Her muscles were tensed, her stance tall and firm. The corners of her mouth were constricted; behind her lips her teeth were clenched. The only thing that wavered was the hood and tail of her cloak and the front strands of her hair. She held her blade at her side in a tight grip, low but still in sight for intimidation.

Shredder glared at her, gradually overcoming his astonishment at the interruption. "Karai," he groused, "I grow tired of your games." He stepped forward. "Now stand aside."

At his first step, Karai's blade was up, her arm and sword extended in the direction of his head. "Not another step, _Shredder_." She spat his name, but her stern voice was otherwise void of all but her fortitude.

The room was silent. Shredder's former kunoichi – his main weapon against Hamato Yoshi for many years – was all that stood between him and Leonardo. It would be a swift and easy battle if he used force. But instead, he abided and used reason, "Daughter, your mind has been poisoned against me. Let me finish what I have started so we can be rid of this nuisance-"

" _Enough_."

Shredder's eyes narrowed.

"Can't you see the damage you've caused?" she vaguely nodded her head to her surroundings. "All you have to show for any of it is a disgraced Foot Clan. You've reduced your own people to nothing but expendable means to your selfish end, instead of the honorable warriors they once were." She looked towards the damaged robots scattered about. "And that's of what's left of them."

"You were once my second-in-command, my daughter," Shredder sneered. "I would have left all that we've gained to you."

"Gained?" she demanded. "What will you have gained? All my life you had me so bent on revenge that I never saw through your lies, that all you had me worked up over was your own mistake. And then you try the same thing on another." She gestured towards Raphael, who was still obviously dumbfounded, albeit relieved, by her presence. "Your desperate need for allies is rendering you weak."

"Hardly, child." This time, Shredder stepped forward. "If you will not stand by my side during my victory, you will-"

Karai immediately grabbed Shredder's outstretched hand and spun around. With a firm grip on his wrist over her shoulder, she rammed her opposite elbow into his gut, and then her foot into his ankle. Quickly, as he was still reeling, she spun again, this time her leg extended, and kicked him again in the gut, sending him stumbling backwards again.

Shredder regained his footing in time for Karai to be back in her firm stance, this time lower and ready to attack again.

"I said, _stand back_ ," she growled.

Raphael, all the while, looked about ready to join in. He writhed in Tiger Claw's grasp, who also seemed eager to fight judging by the low growling he heard from the lousy feline. But Raphael knew it was Shredder with the advantage, so Tiger Claw had no reason to release him and rush to the aid his master. Still, he waited for to moment to strike while his defenses were down, as Splinter would certainly instruct him in a situation like this.

His eyes wandered between the exchange and his brother, who quietly began to stir in his unconsciousness. His mind raced, wondering if Karai would manage to fend off Shredder and his soldiers with enough time for him to get Leonardo to safety. Likely not, at least not without sacrificing herself. Still, that was his priority. She would understand.

"You will _pay_ for this insolence," he shouted, angrily coming towards her again, this time ready to strike.

Now.

Raphael yelled at the top of his lungs, catching both Shredder and Tiger Claw off-guard, as he drove his foot down against the mutant tiger's shin before twisting himself out of his grasp. He leapt backwards onto his hands and thrust himself forward, legs first, slamming his feet into his furry face. Tiger Claw fell backwards, dizzy from the impact.

Karai immediately lunged forward, raising her sword. Shredder responded by raising his talons defensively as her blade came down towards his head. He shoved her back and threw his fist in her direction. She knocked it away with her arm and prepared to strike him again with a round kick, but as she spun around, he grabbed hold of her calf and threw her back towards the Foot Bots standing by.

"Restrain her!" he ordered.

They would fail, of course, as Karai immediately responded by taking three out with a single blow and was unrelenting with those that followed. But Shredder cared not so long as she was distracted. And his target remained prone and in the clear.

He advanced forward. That is until another holler came from behind him. He turned in time to see Raphael hauling himself at him, knocking them both several feet back.

Raphael showered him with a series of punches, which only lasted a few seconds until Shredder grabbed an incoming fist and hurled him to one side, slamming him onto his shell. Raphael groaned as Shredder leered over him.

"Imbecile," he roared at him, "I gave you an opportunity to rise to your true potential. Instead you choose to be bogged down by this make-believe _brotherhood_." He spat the last word in disgust.

Raphael scowled and kicked Shredder in his gut, sending him stammering back in time for him to rise to his feet and grabbed his Sai off the ground. He spun both now-recovered Sais between his fingers before grasping the handles, assuming a defensive stance.

"This fantasy you're harboring will only lead to your own defeat," Shredder continued. "Your loyalty should be directed towards the strong."

"My loyalty's to Splinter. And my brothers. That makes me strong." He was about to lunge for him until he sensed somebody coming towards him. He leapt and spun, kicking Fishface once again in the face and sending him flying to one side, hitting the wall with a splat.

When Raphael landed, he braced himself against Shredder's talons as they came at him. His first Sai held up against it, but his second was knocked out of his grasp and away from the battle. Shredder's elbow then came down forcefully into his shoulder, sending him to the ground. His head hit the floor hard.

Meanwhile, Karai had managed to fight off the Foot Bots and was dealing with Rahzar. His claws managed to catch her cloak, so she quickly unhooked it from her shoulders and grabbed both ends tightly, trapping his claws in it. Rahzar whined in panic when she did a tight flip and thrust him forward. He landed face-first into the floor.

She reattached her cloak to her shoulders. With a quick glance around the room, she deemed it temporarily safe and ran in Leonardo's direction. She fell to one knee by his side and grabbed his shoulder, preparing to turn him onto his back. She didn't though, cautious of some unseen injury upon noticing the visible ones. "Leo," she whispered, shaking him lightly.

Leonardo responded with a pained moan, his face scrunching as he tried to regain full consciousness. Karai gently stroked the side of his face to let him know of a friendly presence.

Shredder, perceiving this, watched with an angry flame in his eye before pulling out three shuriken between his fingers, and then threw them with a force that would break concrete. None of them struck their target, instead each deflected by Karai's blade. With one hand remaining upon Leonardo's limp shoulder and the other clutching the handle of her sword tightly, she braced herself for whatever Shredder's next attack would be.

Instead, Shredder's eyes shifted before he began to laugh. She looked around to see Tiger Claw and surviving Foot-bots regaining their composure and reestablishing their battle stance.

Raphael, rubbing the back of his neck where Shredder had struck him, pushed himself up off the ground with his elbow. He glared in the many directions of those which posed a threat, particularly towards Fishface and Rahzar, who surrounded him along with several Foot-bots.

"What now, child?"

Raphael saw, in Karai's eyes, a glimmer of uncertainty, but no signs of letting down her defense. Given what Shredder was prepared to do, both of them knew surrender was not an option. But even still, when Raphael finally caught her eye, he reflected Shredder's question in his expression.

Tiger Claw stepped towards her, signaling the Foot bots to do the same. "By your orders, Master."

Shredder paused for a moment, attempting one last time to non-verbally appeal to her. Her expression remained hard. With the knowledge that she was content in her defiance, he narrowed his eyes and nodded his head to Tiger Claw.

Raphael immediately shot to his feet. Fishface and Rahzar threw themselves forward. Karai's defensive stance fortified as Tiger Claw rushed towards her. Foot Bots lit up in a great cacophony of activating gears and mechanics.

Then three arrows ceased everything:

The first arrow came down in front of Tiger Claw, halting him and subsequently many of the Foot Bots in their tracks.

As Rahzar was about to bring down his claws at Raphael, another arrow narrowly missed his snout and landed at Raphael's feet.

A third arrow was in Shredder's grip, its head centimeters from his. He snapped the shaft with his thumb as he looked up to see the origin of this new intrusion.

What met their eyes was, quite possibly, the most pleasant image both Raphael and Karai had ever seen. The three archers reached for second arrows, two of them wearing different uniforms from the third. Behind them, more ninjas became visible through the darkness, their uniforms matching those of the archers. These uniforms bore one of two emblems: a flower in a circle, or a foot.

"What is this?" Shredder demanded.

"The end of your tyranny, Shredder," came a familiar voice. And through the darkness, an equally familiar figure stepped forward closer to the ledge. Splinter's eyes flashed with anger as he glared at the man who very nearly destroyed his family. "Your time as leader of the Foot Clan is over."

Raphael grinned widely when more familiar, friendly faces emerged, including his remaining brothers, Casey and April, Leatherhead, and Slash.

Shredder, after a moment of registering the presence of his mortal enemy, laughed. "Hamato Yoshi," he sneered. "You think you have the power to make such a decision?"

"Not me," Splinter asserted.

Another figure stepped forward, his uniform bearing the Foot symbol. He was maskless, looking to be in his early thirties. "By _your_ orders, Master," he said, seemingly mocking Tiger Claw, who quietly growled.

Shredder's brow furrowed in confusion when he saw the gaze of this assembly of mutiny was not directed towards him, but rather behind him. He realized, even before turning around, who they were awaiting the command of.

* * *

 **~ Four Days Ago ~**

Raphael dragged his feet into the lair, eyes red, head drooping after another disappointing night.

When Raphael had regained consciousness three days ago, he found himself in the darkness of his bedroom. Upon blinking away the haze, he eventually dragged himself out of his bed. Before leaving his room to find his family, a quick glance in the mirror revealed his maskless face. He was unable to find his usual one, so he reached into a drawer and pulled out a spare. His movements felt slow, his mind still reeling as he struggled to recollect all that had happened.

One thing he knew for certain: He was home.

He was tying the bright red, far less shabby cloth around his face – it seemed foreign compared to his usual one – as he walked into the main area of the lair. He was greeted by the sight of his brothers sitting in the TV pit, Splinter standing over them. They all looked at him with pained, concerned expressions. Michelangelo had an ice pack pressed to his temple. Donatello was rummaging through his first-aid kit.

And Leonardo was nowhere in sight.

As soon as Raphael had learned of Leonardo's disappearance, he led his remaining brothers in a frantic search to find him. Returning to the burnt-down warehouse proved futile as not only was it still being investigated by police, but even if Shredder by some slim chance had left him there - assuming he hadn't made it out on his own, there would surely be some new conspiracy theory on 'Grody to the Max.'

The next place they searched was Shredder's lair. After exercising caution breaking in, they were shocked to find that not only was there no sign of Leonardo, but there was no sign of _anybody_. The building once home to Shredder's villainy was now entirely void of life, organic or robotic. Raphael, in his confusion and frustration, kicked the residual head of a Foot Bot across the room.

This is where the Turtles began to properly worry. Michelangelo in particular began to throw out absurd yet horrifying theories, ranging from Shredder moving to the bottom of the sea, or to the Antarctic, or even to Dimension X. Donatello had to smack him upside the head to get him to calm down.

After that, anything went. They called Casey and April to join them in their search. By the second night, even Master Splinter had joined them. Raphael also called to Slash and the rest of the Mutanimals to help, while Michelangelo did the same with Mondo Gecko and Muckman. April asked her father, Kurtzman, and Mr. Murakami to keep an eye out.

By the third night, Raphael was growing desperate. It was his second time hustling Fong from the Purple Dragons, who sang the same disappointing, cowardice tune. "I'm telling you, I don't know nothing!" Casey, who was partnered with Raphael that night, had no luck with Hun either. "Even if I knew," Hun scorned, "I would not tell you." A sucker punch from Raphael proved he was telling the truth.

Eventually, as they were standing atop the Byerly Building scanning the horizon, Casey's hand came down on Raphael's shoulder. "Come on, man," he muttered gently. "Let's call it a night."

Raphael pulled away. "Not yet. Let's check the North side. We missed that old school building over there."

"Dude, Rockwell and Mondo have their day shift up there. I'll tell them to check it out." He moved in front of him when Raphael continued to scan the city. "Go home, man. Get some sleep."

Reluctantly, he did. As he hopped over the turnstile in the lair's entrance, he glimpsed towards where Donatello and Michelangelo had passed out on the floor and bean bag chair, respectively, in the TV pit.

He sighed. When he wasn't searching, Raphael was checking his phone for any messages. He instructed his team to contact him even if they slightly suspected something. Unfortunately, it became a "boy who cried wolf" scenario for Pigeon Pete and Mondo Gecko until he decided to pair them with Slash and Dr. Rockwell.

But the only message he had gotten since was one from Michelangelo, insisting he come home. In truth, he had silently hoped that meant they had found something; but upon seeing him sound asleep on the bean bag chair, he frowned disappointedly.

"Raphael." He jumped slightly at the sound of Splinter's voice from across the lair. When Raphael met his eyes, Splinter gave him a quiet nod. "A moment of your time. Please."

Raphael, eyes red and damp, nodded as he walked to greet him.

"What is it, Sensei?"

Splinter smiled at him. "I have found somebody who can help us."

Raphael furrowed his brow.

Splinter placed his hand atop Raphael's carapace. "My son, I know you have been struggling to come to terms with your encounter with the Shredder," he said, his voice filled with concern and sympathy. "I would like for you to speak for a moment with someone who understands your ordeal."

Raphael sighed. "I already talked to Slash. I don't need to hear-"

"I don't speak of Slash, Raphael."

Upon being led into the dojo, his eyes immediately made contact with the person in the room. They wore a familiar cloak – Raphael quickly remembered the figure hovering over him the night Leonardo went missing. Only this time, the hood was off, and their back was to him. But he saw the blonde-dyed hair, now a little longer and merged with naturally dark hair, and immediately recognized her.

"Daughter," Splinter called.

Karai turned quickly, obviously being distracted from troubled thoughts, and rested her saddened eyes on Raphael. A look of concern was washed over her face, through upon meeting his gaze, in became a look of hope and reassurance. She appeared about the same since the last time he'd seen her. Only her armor was now gone, although she kept her black uniform. Her makeup was the same except for the red above her eyes. The earrings were also gone.

By far the biggest change was nothing visible, but rather the air of quiet confidence and decorum that radiated from her, even at this dismal time.

Raphael finally spoke, albeit it was barely intelligible. "You."

She hung her head momentarily before returning her gaze to him. "I'm sorry. I couldn't risk Shredder finding out."

"It was…you? From the fire…?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. Raphael narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

"Please, my son," Splinter interjected. "Karai has something important to discuss."

Karai stepped forward cautiously. "It's about Leo."

Finally, Raphael snapped back into reality. "Let me guess," he scowled. "You want to help us find him."

Before she could answer, Raphael closed the gap between them.

"Didn't I warn you, Karai? Didn't I say that I wouldn't go easy on you if you ever hurt my family again?" Raphael was livid now. "What did you do to rile Shredder up, huh? Or is this another trap you're about to lead us into?"

"Raphael, enough."

" _No_ , Sensei!" Raphael surprised himself this time, turning so he could glare. "You just don't get it! I know she's your daughter, but this whole mess is because of her! You trained us so we could get revenge on the Shredder for what he did to your family. Your _real_ family," he cynically added.

Raphael didn't realize it at the time, but he had just plunged a knife through Splinter's heart with those words.

"Now that we know she's alive, it's been about nothing else but her. And all she's ever done is trick us, lie to us, and try to take us out. Why should I care?" Raphael spun around back to Karai. "Why should I ever trust you?"

" _Enough_!"

Splinter's voice rang through the entire lair.

While Raphael was still fuming, he kept his mouth shut. He could feel his fists trembling as he held in his anger. The last thing he wanted to do was lash out at his Master.

Splinter was also silent, so Raphael slowly turned his gaze to him. Their eyes met, both filled with anger. But if there was one person Raphael could never stare down, it was Master Splinter. Nor did he want to. He may have had his self-control issues, but he would never dishonor his Sensei. Never intentionally.

Splinter sensed Raphael's defenses faltering as he regained his wits, and only then did he approach. Raphael lowered his eyes to the floor, still quivering mildly in his place. Splinter stood directly in front of him. He raised his hand and slowly brought it down over his head.

Raphael closed his eyes at his touch.

"My son," Splinter whispered. "I am sorry that I put you and your brothers in the middle of my dispute with Shredder. But you must understand: You are as much my family as my former." He was becoming emotional. "Do not ever question my love for you, or the lengths I would go to protect you. I did not train you for vengeance, but for self-preservation."

Only then did Raphael look up at his Sensei, eyes large and damp.

"You must also realize that Karai is as much a victim of circumstances as all of you," Splinter continued, now more stern. "Please, for the sake of your brother, let us at least give her an opportunity to explain herself."

For a moment, Raphael averted his gaze. But he eventually nodded, albeit almost unnoticeably.

Splinter nodded in return, finally turning to face his long-lost daughter. "Karai," he said, "if you are indeed certain of Leonardo's location, we trust you to lead us to him."

Karai nodded to him, thankful to be getting back to more pressing matters.

"Where exactly is he?" Raphael demanded. Learning of his location was one thing, but accepting her help… He didn't want them to get ahead of themselves. "We've looked all over the city, with no sign of him or Shredder."

Both Karai and Splinter exchanged a short look before she looked back to him. "That's because they're in Japan."

His eyes widened. " _Japan_?" Raphael almost exclaimed.

She nodded.

"But why?"

"Because Shredder doesn't want anybody to follow him," she said, a hint of concern in her voice. "There's no trap this time."

He suddenly glared, doubt returning. "How can I be sure this isn't one?"

Raphael felt Splinter's hand on his shoulder, but his Master didn't say a word. He instead looked to Karai expectantly.

Karai gave a subtle nod before lowering her gaze. "I can't prove right now that I'm no longer loyal to Shredder. Not with anything other than my word."

Raphael remained hard, folding his arms.

She sighed and continued, "I've been alone for a long time. When I was with Shredder, and even after you guys rescued me, there was always something missing. I…didn't feel like I could trust anybody anymore." She rubbed her forearm before she finally met Raphael's gaze. "But if there's ever anybody I can always count on to stand up for me, it's your brother."

She turned to her father. "I don't know why you kept the truth from me for so long, father." She quickly added when she saw his confident expression falter into that of remorse, "although I'm sure your reasons were noble."

Another quiet sigh. "But Leo…He gave me a chance I didn't deserve."

"So you feel like you owe him for saving you, is that it?"

She averted her gaze, her eyes glazing over for a moment. "Partly."

Splinter turned to Raphael. "I understand your hesitation, my son. While I do believe Karai will help us retrieve your brother, I will leave it to you to decide."

Raphael looked down, then back at Karai after a moment. Normally, his mind would be screaming at him to quit being naïve and reject any "help" she had to offer. But something inside him told him that Karai had indeed changed. This time for the better. Something about her presence gave off the aura of a person humbled by experience. She looked at him with eyes different from when she originally begged him and his brothers to believe her supposed change of heart. They weren't urgent now, but peaceful in their silent plea, as though she had enough faith in her own nobility to not be emotionally affected by whatever his decision.

Finally, Raphael sighed loudly. "All right, fine."

Splinter grinned proudly at him.

"But if we're staging a rescue on Shredder's home turf, I'm getting a team together."

Karai smiled and nodded. "Perfect. But don't worry too much about numbers."

"Why?" Raphael asked skeptically.

"Because I've got a team of my own."

* * *

Karai relented from her defensive stance to stand up straight as Shredder turned to face her.

"Look around you, Shredder," she instructed, gesturing towards the dozens of uniformed ninjas. "These are the surviving members of the Hamato clan you tried to exterminate. And these are the noble men and women you so readily replaced with mindless robots."

"Robots you helped me train," Shredder interjected.

Karai paused, and there was a flicker or self-reflection in her expression, before continuing, "That is something I have to live with after I set things right."

The talons on one of Shredder's gauntlets extended. "And how exactly do you plan to do that, child?"

The archers raised their arrows to this, but Splinter gestured them to wait.

"I don't believe you're beyond saving," she told him, her voice more gentle now. "You loved my mother, and I know, in some deranged way, you still love me as your own. So please," – now her sword was hanging loosely in her grip as she extended her opposite hand in his direction in an offer of truce – "for the sake of what honor is left in you. Call off this battle so we can all finally be at peace."

Raphael wasn't sure, but he could have sworn there was a moment of consideration flashing in Shredder's eyes. A moment where all the wear and exhaustion from years of harboring anger, resentment, and thirst for vengeance suddenly came to the surface, and all he wanted to do was put an end to this feud.

But in a moment, it was gone, and the fire returned to his eyes. The other gauntlet's talons grew in length with a shrill sound echoing in the silence. His lack of response replaced with grunts and growls as he lunged towards the one he called "daughter" indicated that Shredder had gone savage.

And that was their cue.

As Karai fended him off with her armored arm pushing up against his talons, Splinter leapt down from the ledge and landed directly behind the Shredder, knocking him away with his tail before following suit. Karai stayed behind to fight off a quickly advancing Tiger Claw.

It wasn't long until everybody else had joined in. Donatello did a forward flip, Bo staff spinning overhead, before bringing one end of it down against a Foot Bot's head. Michelangelo landed nearby, legs split, crushing two Foot Bots beneath him.

As Raphael braced himself for Rahzar's second attempt to claw at him, he was intercepted by his old friend Spi- Slash. He swung his weapon at Rahzar, but Rahzar quickly recovered and charged back. Raphael had complete faith in Slash, and so instead focused on the Foot Bots surrounding him. That is until four Hamato and Foot soldiers beat him to it, defeating them with ease before moving on to the next wave of robots.

Raphael smiled in satisfaction. Normally, he would protest being denied an opponent. But after the few close calls at the cost of his family, he felt no right to object.

Speaking of which, Raphael's eyes surveyed the scene until finding Michelangelo battling a group of Foot Bots with little effort, taking out several of them by the single swing of his Kusarigama chain. Not far from him, Casey Jones thrust his hockey stick at a Foot Bot, who was propelled backwards, only to be knocked in a different direction by the swing of Leatherhead's tail.

Behind them, he saw Karai continuing to fend off Foot Bots with expertise Raphael only now began to admire now that he saw her fighting alongside his family and friends. Particularly as she was protecting Leonardo, who was currently being looked after by Donatello.

"How is he, Donnie?" April asked urgently from beside him.

Donatello lightly pressed his finger against Leonardo's jugular. His eyes were large and doleful as they scanned the unmistakable physical abuse Leonardo had endured between now and the last time they'd seen him. "I can't say for sure," he eventually replied, "but he's breathing at least."

He and April ducked as Raphael threw two shuriken at the Foot bots approaching from behind them. Raphael leapt over them to throw the final punch. April quickly joined in the defensive by pulling out her Tessen and swinging it at another incoming Foot Bot, slicing its robotic head clean off.

"Let's get him out of here then," Raphael shouted over his shoulder. "April and Casey, can you guys handle it?"

Casey decapitated a Foot Bot with his baseball bat before shouting back, "Oh so _now_ you need us, do ya." He was both sardonic and sassy, letting out a gleeful snigger when he managed to bat another decapitated head directly at Fishface's.

"Yeah, dude, not cool _ditching_ us," Michelangelo added. He sounded much harsher in comparison, aggressively knocking his Nunchucks at two Foot Bots at once.

Donatello, however, was distracted when Leonardo moaned and briefly lifted his head. His arm moved down to his side so his palm was pressed against the floor, in his semi-consciousness attempting to push himself off his side.

"Leo," April gasped, stroking his forehead tenderly.

Donatello had a hand on Leonardo's shell, preventing him from moving too rapidly. "Easy, Leo. It's us," he added when Leonardo groaned uncertainly and his eyes blinked away the haze before him.

"Donnie…" he breathed.

"Yeah, Leo, we're all here."

Almost immediately, Leonardo was shifting and pushing himself up off the ground, his arms and legs shaking in their struggle to maintain his weight. Although April glanced in Donatello's direction in question, Donatello made a point not to stop him. As he did not know the extent of his injuries, this was the most effective assessment he could do without challenging Leonardo's stubbornness.

Which is why he sprang into action when Leonardo stumbled attempting to move from his knees to his feet. "You're all right," Donatello assured, situating himself behind him when Leonardo nearly fell back onto his shell. "Can you stand?"

"Donnie, is he okay?" Michelangelo shouted back in his battle with three Foot Bots attempting to hold him down.

Before Donatello could answer, Leonardo beat him to it. "I'll be all right, Mikey," he reassured his brother, smiling genuinely. Donatello did the same. Their reunion left them wafting in the rarified air of joy and relief amidst the battle raging around them.

"Good," Michelangelo grinned, breaking out of the Foot Bots' grasp, jumped high into the air so as to avoid a stampeding Leatherhead flattening them to the ground.

Casey knocked away one last Foot Bot before following it up with a quick surveillance. Finally, he turned away from the battle and rushed towards where Donatello and April were maintaining Leonardo's balance as he struggled onto his feet.

"Will he be okay, Don?" he asked when he noticed Leonardo's head hanging and knees shaking.

Donatello, frustrated with being asked this repeatedly, grumbled. "I don't _know_ yet. We need to get him back to the Nest."

"M-No, I can fight," Leonardo asserted dizzily. His arm left April's shoulder to reach back for his Katana, which he was only then reminded of their absence. He lost his balance and would have fallen forward had Donatello and April not caught him.

"Yeah, great, impress me by standing on your own first," Raphael snapped. Quickly realizing Leonardo may see that as a challenge, he immediately added, "Casey?"

"On it." Casey slipped between Donatello and Leonardo, shifting the injured turtle to take on his weight along with April. Thankfully, Leonardo was able to maintain his footing, so it was not too difficult between the two of them.

Raphael round-kicked two Foot Bots away and pointed in the direction of a corridor. "Through there," he instructed. "Make a left through the second doorway, and then straight on. Don't wait for us, whatever you do."

Donatello nodded when April glanced in his direction for confirmation. He added, "Take one of the vans. Get Satoshi to start a prognosis until I get there."

Casey nodded. "You got it."

April placed her free hand on Leonardo's chest as they advanced forward. "Come on, Leo," she said gently.

Leonardo, surprisingly more accommodating than they would have expected, followed April and Casey's lead.

* * *

 **~ 12 Hours Ago ~**

Casey poked his head out through the doorway leading outside, watching as April sat cross-legged and completely still upon the cobblestone ground. Her back was straight, arms resting against her knees. She was facing an erect statue of what looked like an urn. There was some Japanese writing beneath it, so of course Casey remained oblivious to its significance.

"April?" Casey said cautiously.

She didn't even acknowledge his presence as he stepped outside towards her.

The sun was out, high and bright in the sky. He was still a little jetlagged from the long journey, but his relentless adrenaline and concern for his friends kept him compos mentis when necessary. They'd been welcomed into the temple and sanctuary the Hamato clan called the Swallow's Nest. He'd wondered why it had been built upon the side of the mountain in plain view of the Foot's headquarters. They claimed that it remained holy ground Shredder dared not touch. Nobody asked why when Splinter walked away with his head down. But he overheard a monk whisper to the Turtles something about a person named Tang Shen.

Anyway, so long as Shredder remained unaware of their presence, they were assured they were in no danger. Somehow, that involved taking refuge in one of the more conspicuous parts of the small Japanese town.

He eyed April tentatively, now standing over her, seeing that her eyes were closed and her expression serene.

"Are you- uh…praying?"

"Go away, Casey, I'm meditating," she shot irritably.

He threw his hands up defensively. "Sorry."

Her facial muscles relaxed again, eyes remaining closed, focusing again on her breathing.

Casey couldn't help himself. "Does it work?"

"Seriously, Casey, leave me alone. I'm trying to do something."

He furrowed his brow. "Really? Isn't the whole meditating thing supposed to be just doing nothing?"

"I'm not just meditating, okay?" Eventually, she added, "And no, there's more to it than that."

"Oh."

April finally relaxed again.

"So what _are_ you doing?"

Casey dodged the pebble April tossed at him. "Enough, Casey, I'm serious. I'm getting close, I can feel it."

"To what?"

She groaned. "Never mind, just be quiet."

He was from then on. Slowly and silently, he sat down a few feet from her, remaining discreet the entire time. He wasn't into the whole meditating thing, but since watching Raphael get so good at it the past few days, he was starting to feel he may be missing out on something.

Perhaps this might be an opportune time to take it up, if for no other reason than to impress April. After all, he couldn't be on more spiritual ground. Atop a holy mountain on the front porch of a monastery, listening to the tranquil sound of the waterfall and stream in front of him. His eyes were slowly closing as he focused on his breathing.

That is until the totally unexpected happened.

April shrieked, almost as though in pain, and a bright light emitted from her forehead. Casey had to brace himself against the strange, invisible force that pushed him off his balance. He thought he even felt the shake of the earth beneath him.

The blinding light eventually dwindled.

"Whoa!" Casey exclaimed, unshielding his eyes. "April, wha-"

Casey's jaw dropped when he saw her. Her pupils were gone, eyes entirely glazed over appearing wholly white. He'd seen this before, back at the farmhouse. But this frightened him. She was completely still, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened. Like she was in some sort of trance.

"What's happening?"

Casey glanced back to see Donatello rush outside from the monastery, soon joined by Raphael and Michelangelo. Karai and Splinter followed suit, followed by one of the monks and a small group of Hamato soldiers. They were all shocked to see pebbles levitating a few feet off the ground around April.

As Donatello rushed to April's side, the monk gasped, "She is possessed by kami!"

"No, we've seen this before," Donatello assured the shocked soldiers and monk. "April, can you hear me?"

At first, April didn't respond.

"Is she okay?" Karai asked, worried.

Suddenly, the pebbles dropped, the strange ring in the air suddenly noticeable as soon as it was gone and the soft sound of the running stream resumed.

April, eyes still white, gasped sharply.

"April, what happened?"

Her head turned to face his voice. "Donnie?"

"I'm right here. H-how did this happen?"

"She was meditating when this huge… _force_ thing came out of her head," Casey exclaimed. "It was insane!" He turned to her now-hunched form. "Is this what you were trying to do?"

Her response was a strangled, pained moan. Both Casey and Donatello held onto her, keeping her from falling forward.

Michelangelo kneeled in front of her in concern. "Donnie, what's wrong with her?"

"April, what do you see?" Donatello asked.

Through another anguished groan, they heard her breathe one distinct name: "Leo."

The Turtles and Casey froze in their place, eyes widening.

"I-It's Leo. I can feel him." She was clutching her shoulder.

Karai's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's she talking about?"

Donatello blinked as he overcame his bewilderment. "April must have able to meld her mind with Leo's. It's a sort of psychic connection; she sees and feels everything he does," he explained.

Karai was about to follow up with another of many questions on her mind until she was interrupted.

"This is perfect!" Raphael quickly proclaimed. "We can find out exactly where they're keeping him."

Splinter stood in silence behind them, expression quiet and patient as he watched the exchange before him.

"April," Donatello said softly, not to startle her. "What's going on? Do you see anything?"

"It's dark," she replied in a whisper, "and cold. _Ugh_!" She was still grasping her shoulder, now raising her other arm to hold the opposite one. "My arms are killing me. Like they're…strained or something."

Donatello frowned upon understanding.

"Do you see anything?" Raphael urgently repeated. "Anything at all."

April shook her head. "No. It's too dark." Her eyes squinted. "There's a little light from under a door, I think. But-" She gasped again. "Wait! It's opening!"

Their hearts were racing now, waiting for her to continue.

"Who is it?" Now Karai was leaning in anxiously.

April squinted again. After a moment, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh no," she wheezed, her breath catching. "Tiger Claw."

Their blood ran cold.

One of the Hamato soldiers snarled behind them. "That wretched, beastly descendent of the Nue," he sneered, clearly harboring years of resentment for this enemy. "His alliance with the Shredder was a dismal day."

"Hush, Yuito," hissed another Hamato soldier, nudging his arm with the back of her hand.

"Come on, April, fill us in. What's he doing?"

April was raising her hands in front of her in self-defense, a frightened expression on her face. "I…don't know. He's just standing there." Her voice was subtly shaking in fear. "I don't like the look he's giving me."

Nobody noticed, fascinated and startled at what they were witnessing, but Raphael gritted his teeth and silently stormed away towards the precipice of the mountainside.

Donatello, after glancing towards a concerned-looking Michelangelo, leaned in towards her. "Okay April, you have to break the connection. Now."

"No. I did this to help us find him."

"We already know where he is. Trust me, we'll manage once we get in there."

"No, Leo…" she trailed off, breathing heavily, clutching Donatello's arm tightly.

"April," Splinter finally spoke, walking over lowering himself down onto one knee and placing a hand on April's shoulder in Casey's place. "Child, I do not wish for you to suffer as well. Please listen to Donatello and break this connection if you can."

April fell silent at first, hopeful expression faltering at Splinter's decision. However, suddenly, her eyes widened and she cried out in terror, "No!" lifting her hands defensively in front of her face.

"April!" Donatello caught her as she fell backwards unexpectedly with a tormented yelp.

The others huddled around her as she held the side of her face tightly with her hand, moaning in pain.

As Donatello fell silent, inwardly debating what to do or say, Casey placed his hand over April's as she kept it over where she was supposedly struck. "Come on, April, you're okay."

When April's eyes opened, her pupils were there, albeit constricted to pinpoints so her blue irises stood out starkly. She had to blink a few times for her proper vision to return, her pupils dilating to normal size. She lowered her hand slowly and cautiously as her eyes darted between those standing over her.

"April?"

She stared at Donatello, heaving in unnerved breaths as her mind caught up with her new, safe surroundings. She then turned her attention to Splinter. "Master Splinter, I-I…"

"It's all right, April." Splinter smiled, but it was clear he too was distressed.

Raphael, having done his best to maintain self-control for this long, finally tore his eyes away from the Foot sanctuary in the distance and spun around to face his team. "We need to act now," he insisted.

For a moment nobody said anything, still stunned by the events that had unfolded. To their surprise, Karai was the first to calmly respond. "No, we're not ready yet. We need to wait for-"

"No more waiting! No more meditating, no more talking or planning. We've got enough of us here ready and able to break in there and take Shredder down."

"Raphael," Splinter asserted. "You cannot allow this to cloud your good judgement." He approached Raphael, eyeing his clenched fists shaking by his sides. "April succeeded in learning of Leonardo's survival. We must be grateful for our good fortune. With this knowledge, we can proceed with your plan accordingly."

Raphael hung his head as Splinter placed a gentle, comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have come this far, my son, and I could not be more proud of you. Do not lose yourself now."

Raphael's eyes squeezed shut and he avoided Splinter's gaze.

Splinter, whispering this time, said to him, "Your brother is strong." Raphael distinctly heard his Sensei's voice quiver as he spoke. "We must trust him to fare until we come for him."

That was the last thing Splinter said to them before eventually retreating to his room to meditate, moving silently past his family and allies, a look of quiet despair on his face.

And those were the words that Raphael remembered when he left the Sparrow's Nest that night.

* * *

Tiger Claw's attempts to lash out were prevented by the strong grip of Leatherhead and Slash as Foot and Hamato soldiers worked together to bind him.

Raphael had a quick surveillance of their surroundings. Michelangelo was helping Splinter to his feet, while Donatello aided some soldiers in restraining Rahzar and Fishface.

Karai rushed over to where a Hamato soldier was struggling to keep Stockman grounded. "Fools!" he cried, "You have no-" He was silenced by Karai's foot coming down on his head as the Hamato soldier finally managed to bind his deformed hands behind his back.

" _You_ have no idea how much I wanted to do that," she quipped.

"You and me both, sister," Raphael mused. He kicked the head of a Foot Bot in the fly's face, causing him to yelp.

Michelangelo, still acting as a crutch for Splinter, couldn't help but notice his Master's frantic struggle to regain his wits. "What's the matter, Sensei?"

Splinter moved forward. "Much, my son," he replied. "After he struck me down, Shredder escaped."

The blood pumping through their veins turned to ice. They were surprised that they had not realized Shredder's absence until now.

"We have to go after him," Raphael exclaimed.

One of the more mature Hamato soldiers stepped forward. "If I may be permitted to speak, Master Yoshi," he said. Splinter nodded. "Shredder's army's been incapacitated. He poses no more threat."

"The Foot Clan's honor has been restored," chimed in a Foot soldier. "Let him live in shame and exile as we restore balance."

"Oroku Saki has no more concept of honor," Splinter interjected. "He is so transfixed on vengeance, he has lost himself." Although he was being cautionary, there was a hint of sadness in his voice, enough for Michelangelo to instinctively bring his hand to Splinter's back in a vague attempt to comfort him. Splinter continued, facing Karai, "I know you believe he still loves you, my daughter, but his idea of love has long been cruel and narcissistic, even his love for your mother. I do not believe there is much hope left for him."

Karai's expression softened, her eyes glazing over as she took in his words.

Donatello had taken to pulling out his T-phone.

"Here was a great victory," said Leatherhead as he and a Hamato soldier finished binding Tiger Claw, who now hung his head in his accepted defeat. "It is cause for celebration, my friends."

Karai shook her head. "No, father is right. Shredder will continue to be a danger until he's captured."

"Sensei, did you see which way he went?" Raphael inquired.

Splinter nodded. "Down that corridor."

At that, Raphael's heart skipped a beat. He didn't even need to look to know the direction Splinter was pointing. He exchanged a look with Michelangelo, who clearly shared his sudden concern.

"Guys," came Donatello's low, panicked voice. He kept his T-phone pressed against the side of his head as his widened eyes met with his brothers'. "April's not answering."

After only a second of registering what was just said, the three brothers led the charge towards the corridor.

* * *

The wooden door opened violently against Shredder's kick. He stepped onto the lookout terrace, rain pelting down on his armor. He dragged Leonardo by the stern grip of his carapace. Leonardo's weakened muscles did little for him as he grasped Shredder's arm in an attempt to pry it away. But his efforts to regain proper footing so his shell wouldn't be scraping against the ground distracted him. All he could do was grunt and writhe in defiance.

"Silence!" Shredder demanded, tossing Leonardo to one side as though taking out a bag of trash to the curb, as he proceeded towards the edge of the terrace. For a moment, all he did was stare at the horizon, dark and clouded over. The endless sea of greenery had never once brought him tranquility upon his throne up here in the mountain. But now this once peaceful temple he had transformed into an empire suddenly seemed empty. His power and pride had been stripped from him.

At the corner of his eye, he saw Leonardo struggling to get up, head hanging down as he focused all his energy on stabilizing himself on his elbows, then his knees. Shredder's eyes narrowed at this. If the Hamato Clan could rise against him after being crippled by his hand, he would not allow this turtle the same opportunity.

Not again.

"I should have destroyed you when I first had the chance," he sneered as he stepped towards him. Leonardo had just balanced himself on his hands and knees when Shredder kicked him violently in the gut. Leonardo cried out in pain and doubled over. "It's because of you that I lost my daughter. That I lost _everything_." Another kick, this time to Leonardo's head, caused him to nearly lose consciousness as he rolled over to his side, away from Shredder.

Even through all of his failures, Shredder felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that perhaps he may destroy Yoshi after all. "If my empire is to fall," he said to him, "you will go with it."

His talons extended, and Leonardo flinched at the sound.

"Allow me the pleasure of ending you slowly, _Turtle_."

* * *

Six rings in, and Raphael now began to properly panic. "Casey's not picking up either," he shouted, continuing to run as fast as he could alongside his brothers.

"Maybe they're driving," Michelangelo offered. Judging by his faltering voice, even he was not able to convince himself that this would be reason not to answer their phones.

"Which way, Raph?" Donatello demanded, running up ahead of all of them.

"Straight on," answered a Foot soldier instead from behind them. "It will be a left at the large corridor."

But as they were about to pass through another one of the smaller chambers, Karai came to a quick halt. "Wait!" she shouted. They all did, and upon following her gaze, their eyes widened at what they saw at the corner of the room.

Sprawled across the floor were the Turtles' two most trusted human allies. April was only just coming to, as Casey still lay unconscious against the wall.

"April!" Donatello cried, rushing towards her. The others all followed, careful not to crowd.

April groaned, massaging her temple as she pushed herself up off the ground. Donatello grabbed a gentle hold of her other arm and her waist to help her to her feet. In the meantime, Raphael came to Casey's side and attempted to shake him awake.

"Dudes, what happened?" Michelangelo said. But in their hearts, they all knew.

April held Donatello until her balance was restored, groaning. "Donnie…" Then, like a ton of bricks, it came back to her. She gasped loudly and roughly grasped Donatello's shoulders. "It was Shredder!" Her voice was frantic, "Donnie, he took Leo!"

Casey, who had finally come to and was rubbing his injured head, looked at Raphael with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, man, I tried to fight him."

Raphael responded with a forgiving and dismissive look, realizing the urgency. "Which way did they go?"

Casey looked around uncertainly.

"Through there," April said, pointing towards a small doorway at the other end of the chamber.

One of the Foot soldiers, closest to the door, peered through. "This leads to the lookout terrace."

Karai unsheathed her sword. "Let's go," she instructed, leading the charge.

* * *

Leonardo grunted as his carapace hit the ground hard. His breathing hitched when he tried to take in the air he had lost. He clutched his lower arm, convinced one of the bones there had broken as it was white-hot agony to turn it even slightly. Raindrops splashed onto his face. His eyes were closed, but he easily sensed Shredder looming over him, breathing heavily like an angry bull about to charge a matador.

A strong grip on his holster strap lifted him up off the wet cobblestone into a partial sitting position. He opened his eyes cautiously, but then quickly regretted it when he received a solid blow to the face in response, stinging his eye and cheek. He strongly disliked those steel knuckles on Shredder's gloves.

"You are like a poison, Turtle," he growled. He slammed Leonardo back down onto the ground before lifting him up again. "You and your rodent Master." This time he lifted him high enough to thrust him across the terrace. Leonardo rolled in his landing before coming to an anguished rest on his side.

Shredder continued as he walked towards him, "I don't know what hold you have over my daughter. It pains me to see her succumb to the same hex that befell my dear Tang Shen."

Leonardo's eyes widened at this, but did not dwell on it when he saw the doorway only feet away as he was pushing himself up off the ground. Before he even had time to consider an escape, Shredder had again rammed his foot hard into his gut. Already tender, Leonardo could not stifle a cry. This time he realized the pain was much sharper, and only then did he notice the short blade that was now elongated from the tip of Shredder's boot.

He was growing concerned and impatient. At first, he believed Shredder was intentionally prolonging his end. But now, he sensed Shredder was hesitating. Uncommitted. Leonardo understood: Shredder, a warrior devoted to great plans of vengeance and schemes to increase power, was trying to figure out his next move. One that would salvage what was left of his sovereignty.

His impatience also extended to himself. He had enough strength to push himself up off the ground; he could therefore gather enough strength to retaliate. Splinter taught him to wait for an opportune moment, and those had come and gone frequently. He would not miss this next one.

"I failed with your Master, but I will not fail with you."

Leonardo slipped the concealed blade from under his wrist wrappings. He sharpened his senses and, with a loud cry, swung his arm around just as Shredder was reaching for his shell. The blade apparently struck his face as Leonardo heard Shredder's mask bounce off the ground a few feet away.

The scowl was now unhidden, and a low growl grew into an enraged roar. He seized Leonardo again, this time by the back of his shell, and threw him across the terrace with all the strength he could rally.

Much to Leonardo's luck, he struck one of the battlements of the edge of the terrace before crashing down onto his sore plastron. He groaned, this time less suppressed, realizing that something else may have just broken during that blunt landing onto his chest. If it was a rib, he heeded Donatello's previous advice on remaining still should he risk puncturing a vital organ.

With each blow, Leonardo felt his ki diminishing. When Raphael had come for him, he was slowly gaining it back, and then again when he was greeted with the sight of the Hamato and Foot clan coming together to fend off the Shredder. But when he couldn't stop Shredder from attacking April and Casey, followed by being dragged off like an animal, shame and indignity came over him.

Splinter's voice came into his head then and there.

" _Keizoku wa chikara nari."_

It was a phrase Splinter taught him that he would repeat to himself in any disadvantageous situation. Anything from a brawl with his brothers to a battle with the Kraang. Perseverance, in its own right, was his power.

He looked up to see Shredder approaching once more.

Under his breath, he muttered, " _Keizoku wa chikara nari_. _Keizoku wa chikara nari_."

Shredder saw Leonardo's lips moving, but paid no heed, instead taking pleasure in his victim's irrational behaviour. "Losing yourself yet, Turtle?"

Leonardo silently urged his family to hurry. He feared that, the longer this continued, Shredder may be right.

* * *

The staircase to the lookout terrace would render the average person breathless at a rushed pace, but the Foot and Hamato soldiers were filled with enough adrenaline to get them to the top in no time.

"Maintain vigilance, my students," Splinter instructed, technically addressing Donatello and Michelangelo who were in close proximity, but extended it to all those who could hear him.

Karai stormed through first, on guard but eager. Raphael stopped beside her, Donatello and Michelangelo on either side of them.

Shredder spun around, only then realizing his face was maskless, revealing his scars more significantly. He was both shamed and angered by this, more so than by the fact that he was severely outnumbered.

"Stay back!" Shredder shouted, stepping back himself.

Splinter, from behind his sons, watched Shredder intently. Something had changed in Saki. Immediately he could see that his movements were more erratic, less smooth and calculated. Even his stance was unusual: He was hunched, almost self-protectively, and his legs were spread at an awkward angle that would not permit a proper defense – even a mild shove would knock him off balance.

Shredder had no more strategy. His actions at present were nothing more than out of fear and madness. It was what Splinter often feared for when he observed Raphael train that his impulsive student would submit to. Indeed, he dare not admit to his sons how many times he would think of his own former adoptive brother whenever Raphael would lose his head and lash out at his brothers.

But much as he always believed in Raphael to remember his unconditional love for his family, he prayed every day that Saki would as well.

"Saki," Splinter said, disobeying the order by stepping towards him, slowly. "Please, brother. End this madness."

"That is exactly what I intend to do," Shredder retorted. He trudged over to where Leonardo lay across the cold, drenched cobblestone. Ignoring his enemies' advances, he then grabbed Leonardo by his neck and forced him onto his feet. Leonardo grunted and grasped Shredder's wrist with his good arm while his legs quivered under him.

"Leave him alone!" Michelangelo cried both in anger and desperation. "Don't hurt him anymore!"

"We do not wish to cause any further harm tonight, Saki. Release my son, and surrender yourself peacefully."

Shredder looked directly towards the Foot soldiers standing around Karai. "You would allow the child of a Hamato to lead you?" he demanded. "You would disgrace the memory of my forefathers, those who returned to the Foot its pride and power?"

"Your line destroyed the good name of the Foot," returned a Foot soldier, stepping forward so he was next to Karai. "If it takes a noble Hamato to help us restore our honor, then I will gladly oblige."

" _Hai_ ," said the other Foot soldiers in unison.

Splinter looked to his daughter in pride. Karai smiled humbly.

Shredder snarled. "Traitors! All of you!" He stepped back towards the edge of the terrace, dragging Leonardo with him. They feared for him, but they realized that Shredder seemed to have forgotten all about him in his rage. While the Turtles were ready to use this to their advantage, Splinter grasped Raphael and Donatello's shoulders, dreading that this would make any advancement even more dangerous.

Splinter took it upon himself to appeal to whatever man was left in him. "Brother, please, listen to m-"

"You are _no_ brother of mine!" Shredder exclaimed in such raw wrath, Splinter's heart broke for him. "You're nothing to me, Yoshi. You're a coward and a _liar_. You betrayed me the day you stole Tang Shen away."

Splinter could not hold back his own outrage. "Look at yourself! Do you not see that you are doomed to repeat history? In your blind rage, you destroyed all that you claimed to love."

"No. You lie." Shredder's voice was infuriated but trembling. "It's because of _you_ that Tang Shen is gone. And I do not intend to repeat history, but to fix it." He jabbed his index finger in Splinter's direction. "It was you who should have perished that night."

Splinter glowered at him.

With all the strength she could muster not to react out of her own raw emotions bubbling to the surface, Karai, for a moment forgetting her own personal involvement, kept her voice as composed as possible. "You have nowhere left to run, Shredder," Karai declared. "Not from yourself, not from anybody. It's over." Her voice was tender, like calming a wild stallion.

Shredder was silent for what seemed like ages. His breathing was heavy, chest heaving in and out with every breath. He maintained a strong grip of Leonardo's neck, fingers digging into and bruising his green skin, pinning him back against his armoured side. The rain pelting down on top of them seemed to move in slow motion as they waited with a slight glimmer of hope that Shredder would consider peaceful surrender. For the gleam in his eyes as he looked upon the one he called "daughter" may perhaps bridge to his former, honorable life.

But all hope for redemption dissipated when Shredder broke into a twisted, malicious smile. "Yes, it is."

Talons shrieked. His fist was raised.

Splinter was the first to react, reaching forward frantically. "Saki, _no_!"

Shredder brought down the blades, lashing them deep across Leonardo's chest.

Michelangelo cried out in horror for his brother. Raphael was frozen in shock. Donatello had flinched, and the action was so quick that he was unable to tell for certain if the blow would have been fatal.

What they knew would be fatal was Shredder then thrusting Leonardo over the edge of the terrace.

This time, Donatello joined Michelangelo in screaming for their brother. Raphael remained frozen, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide as he absorbed the image of what would be the last he'd ever see of his brother alive, watching him disappear over the edge. It all happened so quickly. No time to act. He'd failed. He couldn't save him after all.

Or so he thought.

Raphael felt the rush of wind as a body hurried past him, almost as quickly as what he'd just witnessed. He watched Karai unhook her cloak mid-run, letting it drop behind her as she sprinted in Shredder's direction. At first, it looked as though she was going to attack him as an act of vengeance. All the more reason they were surprised when she ran right past him and dove over the edge of the terrace.

"No!" Splinter shouted.

"Karai!" Shredder cried.

Raphael was the first to rush forward after her, Splinter close behind him, and then Michelangelo. Donatello aimed his Bo staff at Shredder's feet, tossing it so it would be wedged between two stones in the wall. Shredder, in his hysteria, did not notice it and stumbled. Foot and Hamato soldiers swarmed him like bees on a hornet.

Karai plummeted down the side of the mountain. She managed to push off protruding rocks mid-descent to accelerate, quickly catching up with Leonardo.

Almost immediately, as Raphael watched them fall, his memory clicked. With a loud grunt, he pushed off the ground and somersaulted over the wall, following Karai suit.

"Raphael!" Splinter cried.

"Raph, don't!" Michelangelo screamed.

Raphael's heart broke at the sound of despair in their voices, but there was no time to explain. He angled his body vertically to attain maximum speed in his descent. As he plummeted, before his speed had reached the point where the rushing air irritated his eyes – he hoped Karai would complete her stage of the plan before then – he saw Karai had reached Leonardo.

Karai acted quickly once she'd levelled herself with the debilitated turtle. She managed to wrap a rope through Leonardo's belt, securing it to her waist, and now moved on to pulling out the grappling hook Raphael had lent her.

When she looked up, at first she was surprised to see Raphael had jumped after them, but quickly knew why when she saw that the curvature of the mountain would not allow her to attach her grappling hook to a solid terrain. With a tight grip under Leonardo's arm as they rapidly descended side-by-side, she aimed the grappling hook towards Raphael and fired.

Flipping to alter his position only slightly, Raphael expertly caught the hook. Tightening his grip of it with one hand, he used the other to pull out his own grappling hook and fired at sturdy-looking tree growing horizontally from the mountain. It hooked on successfully to a thick branch, and both of them braced for what would be a sudden halt in their descent.

Fortunately, the rope had some stretch to it, and the angle they were stopped at allowed for some swing. It was awkward at first, with two axis attempting to straighten to a vertical stop, but eventually it settled. Raphael's fist was like rock in his grip of Karai's grappling hook. He finally looked down over his shoulder to see Karai with Leonardo in her grasp. The rope tying the two together certainly proved helpful as her grip under his arm was only used to steady him.

For a moment, they hung in silence, catching their breaths, waiting for their heartbeats to steady. Raphael's grip of his own grappling hook could have been stronger, but he would manage.

Karai was adjusting her grip under Leonardo's arm, pulling him closer to her to ease the burden off her waist. The weight was taking a toll, though, as she was struggling to keep proper hold of the grappling hook. She would not be able to hold on for much longer, looking towards Raphael to let him know of this, squinting as the rain splashed down on her face.

However, when their eyes met, they slowly but surely broke into a smile – almost laughing with relief. They had survived.

Suddenly, there was a jolt that nearly caused them to lose their grip. Raphael looked up, eventually noticing that the branch his grappling hook was attached to was cracking at its base.

Panic struck, and Raphael's eyes darted around in a hysterical attempt to come to a last-minute solution.

They jolted again.

"Raphael!" Karai shouted.

Raphael looked back down, into Karai's concerned eyes as she struggled to maintain her grip.

He then realized, looking past them, the small lake that resided almost directly below them. The one he'd seen fisherman quietly on their boats floating patiently for the trout they would sell at the market or take home to their families.

He shouted back down to her, "Karai, swing out and let go!"

Karai's eyes widened before looking below. When she caught sight of the lake, she quickly realized what he intended.

Without hesitating, she tightened her grip on the grappling hook and began to swing herself back and forth. Raphael adjusted his own grasp as she did so, swinging his own arm to speed up the process. Eventually, garnering enough momentum, Karai let go and she and Leonardo plunged down towards the lake. They hit the water with a quiet splash, with nobody but Raphael within range to hear.

Raphael did the same after tossing Karai's grappling hook aside. He had farther to fall, but he had his shell to take on the shock of the impact. He released his grappling hook the moment he was above the lake.

He struck the cold water and immediately sank to the bottom, thankful that there was sand and seaweed to greet him rather than rocks. He pushed off the bottom and swam up to the surface.

After taking in a large gulp of air, he immediately searched his surroundings for any sign of Karai and his brother. It didn't take him long to find Karai struggling to keep herself and an unconscious Leonardo above the surface.

"Karai!" Raphael called before front-crawling towards them.

While registering Raphael swimming towards them, Karai was too preoccupied to verbally acknowledge him. Her legs were exhausted as she treaded water with the eggbeater kick. With Leonardo resting against her chest, his head on her shoulder, she only barely managed to keep both their heads above the water. She was still coughing up some of the water that she'd accidentally swallowed.

Raphael finally made it to them. "Karai," he wheezed between breaths. "I got him."

She coughed, "I'm fine, just-"

"Swim to shore, I'll follow you." He treaded over to Karai's position, looping his arms under Leonardo's.

Karai eventually complied, carefully maneuvering so Leonardo's head moved to Raphael's shoulder. As Raphael adjusted, she looked around for the closest shore. "This way," she instructed, front crawling away. Raphael followed, grunting, kicking his legs so he and Leonardo moved after her.

It seemed like ages, but eventually, Karai crawled up onto the lake's shore, panting from exhaustion. She glanced back to find Raphael struggling to gain his footing as the water shallowed, still carrying his brother backwards. She hurried back to help him, legs splashing the surface of the water, grabbing one of Leonardo's arms. In time, they collapsed onto damp grass after laying Leonardo down gently, lying on either side of him as they caught their breaths and shivered in the cold air.

For a moment, they just lay there, only then noticing the quietness of the night. Raphael was greeted again by nothing but the sounds of crickets chirping and falling rain, moonlight shining down on them even through the mild cloud cover.

Karai was the first to push herself up off the grass and look over Leonardo, who was still unconscious and frightfully still. "Leo," she whispered. Her hand moved to his cheek, then down to his jugular as she searched for a pulse. "Leo." Her eyes moistened. "Please, Leo, give me a sign."

Raphael joined her, scrambling to his knees and hovering over his brother. "Come on, bro, we made it. You're okay." He wasn't sure of that last part as he eyed the wound to his chest. It was deep, but their plastron was pretty thick, so it tended to be more difficult for them to properly discern just how far the wound extended. He wondered how long Donatello and the others would take to get to them.

Karai sighed in relief upon finding his pulse. At the same time, Leonardo shifted his head subtly at the sound of voices around him.

"Hey," she said softly, smile widening as his eyes slowly blinked open.

Leonardo's eyes gradually adjusted and met her face inches away from his. "Karai…" he breathed.

She nodded.

Eyes still half closed, Leonardo's mouth moved into a small smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she laughed, stroking the side of his head.

"What happened?"

"Don't worry, you didn't miss much," Raphael joked.

Leonardo's head slowly turned to face the other familiar voice. "Raph?"

"Here, bro," he replied, hand resting on his shoulder.

Leonardo grunted when he tried to sit up, hand moving to his chest. Karai and Raphael eased him back down.

"Easy, Leo."

Before Leonardo lay back fully down on the grass, Karai quickly moved so he would be resting his head and shoulders on her lap. She held his head gently as it came to rest on her thigh. Raphael didn't protest, realizing that her body heat would warm him in the chill of the night. He fought off the urge to nuzzle up the way they and their brothers would as toddlers on particularly cold nights in the sewers.

Leonardo groaned as he clutched the wound on his chest, the rain pelting down doing little to soothe the raw, open lesions. Raphael placed his hand over his while Karai massaged his temple.

"Karai…"

"I'm right here, Leo," she assured him.

A few seconds passed. "Leader…Foot Clan?"

Karai glanced up at Raphael uneasily, a half smile plastered on her face. Raphael returned the uncertain look.

"I'll tell you all about it when you wake up," she said. "Rest now."

Leonardo complied, shifting his head in her lap, eyes slipping closed.

"Raph…"

"Yeah man."

Instead of a verbal response, he watched Leonardo's hand clumsily slide towards the side of his belt. Raphael nearly choked out a cry when, from the pocket between his plastron and carapace, Leonardo pulled out a familiar red cloth.

"In case you wanted…your old one back."

Thankfully the rain made it difficult to tell, but tears rolled down Raphael's cheeks as his eyes darted from his worn-out mask to his brother's worn-out face. Had Karai not been watching with a smile, he would have pulled him into a repentant hug as the memory of throwing that mask defiantly at Leonardo came flooding back.

He instead settled for grasping his hand, pressing the damp mask between their palms, and squeezing it gently. "Thanks, bro."

From then on, they waited in silence as Leonardo drifted off to sleep and Raphael replaced the newer back-up mask with his old one. Karai removed her glove and stroked Leonardo's forehead with soothing fingers. Raphael leaned back against his palms, watching the path leading down the mountainside for any sign of his or Karai's Clan. Had Leonardo's injuries not been at the forefront of his mind, this would have been very peaceful. Once in a while, after checking on his brother, he would glance towards Karai. Their eyes would meet, and they would exchange relieved smiles.

The sun was just beginning to rise, clouds finally clearing, when they heard the faint call of their names, eventually followed by Michelangelo running into view in the distance.

He and Karai grinned as the Foot and Hamato clan rushed towards them.

"What took you guys so long?" Raphael mused.

* * *

 _Cover image by RadioJane on DeviantArt_


	3. Healing Process

Raphael worried about Michelangelo.

This could be considered a pretty generic statement about their relationship. Michelangelo was, of all his brothers, the most compulsive, delusional, and prone to getting himself into trouble – although Leonardo would argue that Raphael were those things in his own right. Over the years, he'd somehow found himself taking Michelangelo under his wing and spending a lot more time with him than he probably even consciously wanted to. Sure, he was hare-brained and nauseatingly cheerful. But he was his brother. His baby brother, even though Donatello confirmed years back that they were all the same age.

Of course, Raphael didn't care for one of his brothers any less than another. In fact, he was highly protective of all of them. But Leonardo and Donatello could, more often than not, take care of themselves. Leonardo was always the independent type, looking to Splinter if he ever needed guidance or support. Donatello seemed to keep himself sane with his science-y stuff, taking solace in his lab, laptop, or books.

That would leave Michelangelo, whom Raphael believed needed somebody to look out for him pretty much all the time. They would all do their part when they could. Leonardo, being leader, would keep him on track in training and on missions. Donatello did his best to mentally stimulate him in ways he thought possible. But when Raphael hung out with him, it was different. Nothing official like training, nothing nurturing for the brain. They could get away with doing nothing, and that was nice. Mind you, it probably also made them more prone to getting on each other's nerves, especially with the two of them being saddled together without one being the authoritative figure over the other. But that wasn't as often as Raphael liked to think. He loved his brother – all of his brothers in fact, no matter how annoying they'd get.

All the more reason to worry about Michelangelo's odd behavior.

At first, when Michelangelo came rushing down the side of the mountain towards them, well ahead of the two Clans, Raphael hadn't noticed anything unusual in his little brother. Mostly because they all became preoccupied with safely and carefully transporting Leonardo to the rebellion's hideout, tending to his injuries on the way. Donatello of course never left Leonardo's side, and Casey kept distracting Raphael by buzzing on about how awesome his and Karai's little stunt was. Splinter also expressed his relief and congratulations to the two of them for their brave maneuver.

It took him some time to realize that Michelangelo, his usually cheerful, bouncy brother, in this time of victory, was bitterly giving him the silent treatment.

Since then, Michelangelo was at the forefront of his mind. Even as they reached the hideout, a large, old low-rise bungalow made of rotting bamboo. Even as Leonardo was carried into an isolated room, while Donatello protested when a medical-ninja stopped him from following. Even as he and Raphael were led to a makeshift infirmary to be treated for their own injuries. All Raphael could think about was Michelangelo.

It was while Raphael was getting his upper arm wrapped – supposedly Rahzar had managed to nick him – that Michelangelo finally approached him. He stood a little off to the side as the medic did what he had to do; but Raphael, upon seeing him, started off the conversation anyway.

"Hey, little bro." Raphael gave him a small smile.

Michelangelo nodded. "Hey," he said distantly.

"How ya doin'?"

Michelangelo shrugged.

The medic finished wrapping Raphael's arm in gauze and proficiently moved onto his next patient. Raphael hunched forward in the stool he was sat on, leaning against his knees. He kept his eyes on Michelangelo, who was blankly watching the medic begin his treatment on the wounded Hamato soldier next to them.

"Hey, Raph?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

Michelangelo finally returned his full attention to his brother. He vaguely gestured to his arm. "Is that bad?" he muttered, almost insincerely.

Raphael rotated his arm. "It's nothing. Barely a scratch."

Michelangelo nodded again. "Good." And with that, with all the strength his heart could muster, he punched Raphael right in the arm.

" _Ow_!" Raphael yelped, clutching his throbbing bicep. "Mikey!"

Michelangelo ignored him as well as the medic shouting at him in Japanese. "What the heck is your problem, Raph?" he demanded. "Why'd you do it?"

Immediately, Raphael's eyes softened and clouded over in guilt. He'd been waiting for this.

"What were you trying to prove, huh?"

"Mikey, I-"

"No, dude, seriously. Why would you ever think that going after Shredder alone is a good idea? Even for you, that's really stupid."

Raphael quickly jumped in. "I wasn't going after Shredder. I was going to sneak in-"

"That's what _we_ were going to do, remember? As a team? With the plan _you_ came up with? I had it down, too." Michelangelo held out his hand to count down the steps with his fingers. "Step one: Sneak in all ninja style. Step two, find Leo and get him out. Step three, full-on attack on-"

"I got it," Raphael grumbled under his breath. He'd spent enough time hammering the detailed, comprehensive strategy of each of those steps into Michelangelo's head.

"Then what, you thought it'd work better solo?" Michelangelo huffed, "Why do you think you have to do everything by yourself, Raph? We were almost ready! You couldn't wait one more day?"

Raphael sighed. "I…wasn't sure if it'd work."

"Why? It was _your_ plan."

"Exactly. _I_ had a plan. _Me_. Hot-headed Raph, your words. I'm not exactly in my element here. I'm not the plan guy, Mikey. I'm the guy who ignores the plan and rushes into things without thinking, remember?"

"Yeah, Raph, I do," he spat. Raphael had never seen so much anger and disappointment in Michelangelo's eyes before. It burned his soul. "This is serious, bro. It wasn't just your life you were risking. Leo could've been hurt…like, even more. If Karai didn't notice you sneaking off, you guys could've…" Michelangelo's bottom lip quivered. He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I don't even wanna _think_ about it! Geez, Raph, how could you do something that stupid?"

Now Raphael was on the verge of tearing up. "I'm sorry, Mikey. I know I shouldn't have." He was grateful to see Michelangelo was at least intent on listening for an explanation. "I thought I could get him out of there. With all of us putting ourselves on the line, I was worried something would go wrong."

"But your plan-"

"Could've worked, I know," Raphael finished. "It's not you guys, I swear. I know we had a good chance. I just…what April saw…"

Michelangelo looked away sharply, remembering yesterday's events. In fact, he only then began to understand Raphael's rash decision.

"I couldn't sleep thinking about what they could've been doing to him, you know? I mean you saw him." He gestured towards the small room that housed Leonardo. "You saw what they'd already done."

Michelangelo was nodding understandingly, his eyes glistening and brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry, Mikey. I know it was dumb. Like, dumber than usual."

"Yeah, it was," Michelangelo nodded. "And I get it, like _why_ you did it. But only 'cause I know you. Dude, you've got really bad control issues. I thought the whole meditating thing would help."

Raphael stayed silent.

"But," Michelangelo added, "I totally get it. It's like when I went to get Leatherhead from Dimension X. I was _focused_." He wafted his hands outward from either side of his face to mimic tunnel-vision. Raphael chuckled half-heartedly. "I know what it's like when you get, like, super-motivated." He nudged Raphael. "Especially you, hothead."

Raphael was still quiet, guilt still churning in his stomach. Michelangelo, after a moment's hesitation, smiled and carefully pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks, Raph. I love that you love us enough to do stupid things like go up against Shredder, or jump off a mountain. You know, the usual stuff."

At this, Raphael broke into a smile and patted Michelangelo's shell in return.

"That, and…I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Mikey."

Michelangelo eventually pulled away and firmly grasped Raphael's shoulders. "Just keep Turflytle in the loop from now on, got it, Maggot Boy?"

Raphael suddenly frowned, scowling at the nickname.

Michelangelo laughed and pulled him into another hug.

* * *

 **~ Two Days Ago ~**

Karai was on her own for a while.

Her father, Splinter, was going on two hours with the monks in meditation. So Raphael, in his place, had taken over leading Michelangelo and Donatello in their training session. She considered joining, but when Raphael noticed her inching forward, he'd given her a subtle, but still very clear, unwelcoming look. Even when Michelangelo insisted, Karai excused herself nevertheless.

April would spend a lot of time by the stream running by the monastery, meditating. Silently, she congratulated her for becoming so proficient at it in such a short amount of time. Casey Jones seemed pretty lost, but he'd keep himself busy by either joining the Turtles in training, or writing in some journal of his. Today, he kept occupied with the latter.

Two of the Turtles' mutant allies that had accompanied them to Japan, Leatherhead and Slash, had an especially difficult time blending into the monastery. Gratefully thanking the monks for their hospitality, they instead stayed, and seemed perfectly happy, on another part of the mountain just a stone's throw away. Literally; a frighteningly large stone struck the monastery's rooftop during an imprudent workout of theirs.

So Karai wandered the monastery alone. It didn't bother her; these walls housed a lot of memories. Unfortunately, a lot of those memories were shadowed by Shredder's company and cruel lies.

Despite the Swallow's Nest being built by the Hamato Clan centuries ago, once Shredder eliminated them – or at least thought he had, not only did he leave the monastery standing, but he would often pay visits to it. When Karai was old enough, Shredder would bring her along. She would shy away from the monks giving her peculiar looks, as though they were looking at a ghost, before Shredder would send them a threatening glare and causing them to avert their gazes.

Just thinking about all the horrible white lies he'd poisoned her mind with made her blood boil.

Since Shredder stopped taking her to focus on her training, already having done his job convincing her just how wicked the Hamato Clan was, she would still sneak trips once in a while.

And there was a particular room she often took solace in, especially upon her return to Japan after she finally learned the truth about herself. This room was the largest of all of them, yet furnished by nothing but a carpet and several lanterns. Its walls were what set it apart from the rest of the monastery. They were exquisitely and intricately painted to depict a mural of the Hamato history, beginning with the first Hamato to ever pick up a Samurai sword, and ending with the last of the high-ranking soldiers: Her grandfather. His image was painted holding in his hand a Kabutowari, holding it to a brawny man in heavy Samurai armour.

"These walls carry much of our family history."

Karai jumped at Splinter's calm voice suddenly coming from behind her. The room was large enough for there to be a slight echo. When she turned, she found Splinter standing a few feet behind her in the doorway. He gracefully strode into the room, stance tall, folding his hands behind him.

"Your grandfather, my father and sensei, was the last Hamato to be portrayed after Oroku Saki seized power in this village. But," he added positively, "he could have easily destroyed this sacred temple."

Karai sighed, running her fingers along the wall, over her grandfather's memory that bordered the mural. "Shredder used to tell me this place was the trophy of our-" She paused. "…er, _his_ victory." She looked to her father. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Splinter nodded. "Yes." He sauntered across the room, scanning the long-stretching mural as he went. "The two of us were brought here often as children to learn about our history." He stopped when he came to a particularly graphic part of the mural. It showed many samurai soldiers bearing traditional weaponry, holding their own against what appeared to be military soldiers pointing rifles and cannons. "Although our Clans have since gone down divided paths, there was once a time that we fought as allies."

Karai perked her head up to listen.

"When word reached our village of the Satsuma Rebellion in Kyushu, both leaders of the Hamato and the Foot Clan agreed that they would support Saigo Takamori in his fight against the new imperial government. At this time, it was a man named Miyahara Daichi that headed the Foot Clan. He and my great grandfather, Hamato Katashi, prepared their soldiers together as one army to ready for battle against the central governments."

Splinter's hand hovered over the painting depicting the battle. "However, there was one man strongly opposed to the rebellion."

"Oroku Masato," Karai whispered.

Splinter nodded. "Shredder's great grandfather. He was Daichi's most trusted friend, and his second-in-command. He urged Daichi to reconsider, insistently expressing his concerns with the Clans. He believed that, despite their superior skills over the peasant army of the new government, their traditional Japanese warfare would not stand a chance against western weapons. Although at first Daichi believed his friend's good intentions, it was Katashi that discovered that Masato had secretly allied himself with the new government.

"Although outraged, Daichi discharged Masato behind closed doors, only to the knowledge of himself and Katashi. However, this would yield consequences none of them could foresee. For in a surprise attack from the government army, many Hamato and Foot soldiers lost their lives, including Miyahara Daichi."

Splinter sadly eyed the mural image next to the great battle, depicting a man holding up a Kabuto on top of a rock, with presumably confused and anxious soldiers gathered around him. "It was at this time that Oroku Masato took the throne of his late-superior. When Katashi attempted to warn the Foot Clan of his betrayal and exile, Masato denied the allegations and accused Katashi of attempting to cause disruption in the Foot Clan. Overtime, with the same cogency, he convinced the Foot soldiers that the Hamato would rise against them, and that they must be first to act."

A deep sigh escaped Splinter, his head tilted down in despondency. "This would bring the two Clans back into the centuries-old conflict Katashi and Daichi worked hard to put an end to."

Karai eyed the mural. "Shredder never told me that story," Karai confessed, both resentment and regret crawling up and burning her throat.

"No, I suspect he wouldn't have."

Karai was silent for some time, her mind a whir. "Father, do you believe this feud will ever really end?" she asked. "Even if we do successfully dethrone Shredder. Even if we restore honor to the Foot and the Hamato, there's always a chance of another rebellion against that." She sighed. "Can we ever truly have peace?"

Splinter smiled. "Child," he said, clutching her shoulders soothingly, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "When there is peace, there is always the possibility of war. But even under the threat of insurgence, we cannot let that stop us from fighting for our peace."

Karai's eyes glazed over in deep contemplation.

* * *

Donatello shifted on the bench like a child as he waiting impatiently for the medical-nin to finish wrapping the laceration on his leg just above the knee. The Hamato medic attending to him was ranting exasperatedly in Japanese.

"He says, 'Please sit still,'" said the nurse, also acting as their translator.

"My patient's in the other room," Donatello proclaimed. "If you could ask him to hurry it along, that'd be great."

The nurse turned to the medic and translated, seemingly in more words than Donatello had said to her. The medic settled for grumbling his complaints. Donatello's Japanese wasn't very good, but he made out the words for "impossible" and "difficult" in his mumblings.

"Yo, Don, just relax, would ya?" Raphael said from the other side of the room where they and a handful of other soldiers were still being treated for their injuries. With the exception of a few cases of fractured bones and lacerations requiring stitches, there were no serious injuries inflicted on the noble Foot and Hamato allied rebellion. Raphael had come out of the battle with nothing more severe than the scratch across his bicep and a mild concussion.

Casey's confrontation with the Shredder turned out to be more consequential than he and April had let on. He had to be laid down on the table as two medical ninjas stitched together the deep, incised wound to his stomach. April stood by his side, grasping his hand tightly as he flinched each time the needle went through his skin. Unfortunately, their supplies were limited; they didn't have access to any anaesthetics.

That made Leonardo's case much more difficult to work with.

With the exception of some painkillers and his own physical exhaustion, Leonardo was unable to be desensitized to the pain. They kept him isolated in the next room as his open wounds were susceptible to infection. Regrettably, the conditions of the rebels' hideout weren't ideal for preventing that either, housing only basic supplies and unkempt furnishings – they had to lay Leonardo down on a rickety cot as opposed to a proper bed. Donatello suggested going to the Swallow's Nest for cleaner conditions, but not only did Splinter insist they had offered enough of an intrusion, but he also brought up the good point that the effort would probably not be worth it if their supplies were no better than theirs.

As it turned out, the "healing hands" mantra was a lot rarer than they'd thought. When Splinter used the mantra on Leonardo to little success, Raphael suggested asking one of the other ninjas in either Clan to combine their efforts, perhaps making it more effective. Splinter agreed that it would, but when Raphael rushed off to ask the Clan, nobody seemed to even know what he was talking about. Splinter later explained that it was shared among very few Hamato, his own father teaching it to him alone – not even Saki was taught it. He hadn't expected anybody among them to know of it. Still, becoming oddly quiet, seeming to be in deep consideration, Raphael watched him wander off aimlessly with his hands folded behind him.

"What's the rush anyway, Don?" Casey inquired as the medics finally finished stitching up the laceration to his abdomen. His face contorted to the stinging feeling of alcohol being poured onto raw flesh. "I mean, what are you gonna do that these medical dudes can't?"

Donatello glanced towards the room that housed Leonardo. "They don't know our anatomy or physiology. Plus their equipment is rudimentary to say the least."

"Excuse me," said an English-speaking Foot soldier suddenly. "But we do our best under the circumstances."

"I don't mean any disrespect," Donatello assured the soldier, bowing his head courteously. "It's just that I've treated my brothers before. I know what I'm doing. Even without the proper equipment, I can take care of him properly."

"I'm afraid that may be difficult." The voice belonged to Satoshi, the most mature and experienced medical ninja of the Foot He entered the room, his lips pressed together in a deep frown. According to Karai, Satoshi was the first exiled Foot soldier in hiding she'd managed to find upon her initial return to Japan. He was relatively young, around his early-thirties, and one of the more outspoken members of the Clan. Never out of place, however; Karai said that he was a big inspiration to her. He'd helped her locate and gather those still loyal to what the Foot once stood for and were determined to rebel against the Shredder's govern. Much like Splinter, when he spoke, it was always worth listening to.

"What do you mean?" April inquired.

Satoshi reached for a new pair of Latex gloves from the box on a nearby table. "We've stabilized Leonardo for the time-being, and we are now working on dressing his wounds." He paused before continuing, "But there may be some bad news."

Donatello stood up off the table. "Tell me."

"I'm afraid he's showing symptoms associated with septicemia."

Michelangelo grabbed Donatello's arm when he noticed his brother pale. "What's that?"

"It's blood poisoning, essentially," Satoshi explained. "It's the result of a severe bacterial infection in the bloodstream. I suspect the lacerations to his skin were exposed in a contaminated environment for a long period of time. Any one of his lesions could have been the entry point."

"Donnie," April said, tapping Donatello's cheek as he suddenly went uncomfortably silent. "How bad is that?"

Donatello blinked, eyes wide and full of concern and contemplation. "It's not good."

"Luckily, he is at an early stage," Satoshi reassured them. "He has a high fever, but we are icing him down. We must act fast to prevent his condition from progressing."

"We'll need antibiotics," Donatello finally said. "But we don't have much of those."

"That is why I've sent my assistants to get some," Satoshi declared. "They will hurry, but the journey is fairly long." He added solemnly, "I also do not believe they will be highly effective on their own. Unfortunately, he would require hospital treatment if we are to guarantee his recovery."

"Yeah, well, that's not really an option," Raphael threw in bitterly. "So what else is there, Doc?"

When Satoshi delayed his response, Donatello jumped in. "We've had to make do with a lot less for a lot worse," he reminded his brothers. "We'll manage. Let's keep an eye on Leo for now, and we'll see how well these antibiotics work against the infection." He looked to Satoshi. "In the meantime, if you have any hydrogen peroxide and some wire, I'll show you a how to detect the type of bacteria without gram-staining."

With that, Donatello led Satoshi into the room.

* * *

 **~ One Day Ago ~**

That morning, Raphael decided to climb the mountain.

It was barely dawn, and he found himself wide awake and watching the sun peer over the mountainous horizon. It was the type of image one would see as a computer desktop background, with the added bonus of feeling the brisk morning breeze and listening to whatever variant of grouse cooing above his head from its nest on the monastery rooftop.

He stood at the edge of the mountainside, where the precipice sloped steeply downwards, and eyed the side of the mountain. It was probably a stupid idea, climbing unaided and unequipped, but his adrenaline was pumping this morning. It was time to get the day started. So, grabbing onto a protruding rock, he pulled himself up and began his ascent to the top.

The climb was incredible. The only way he could have felt more in his natural environment was if there was a large pond awaiting him at the top. Careful to keep below the trees, he effortlessly pulled himself up the mountain using branches, boulders, and the occasional vine. The fresh air whisked past him, fluttering the tail ends of his mask behind his head. The most unforgettable part of it was seeing a hawk soar several feet below him, then circling around, screeching as it flew by him, its wing's feathers inches away from brushing his carapace.

With determined eyes and a pleased grin, he pulled himself up over several more tree barks and stone precipices until he finally reached the top. The air was thinner up here, but by controlling his breaths, he would manage just fine. He planted his feet on the grass and fallen branches that coated the mountaintop. Trees and rocks stood tall enough up here to conceal him, but not obtrusive enough to block his view of the surrounding land.

Raphael took a deep breath as his eyes took in the image. What started off as a tactical maneuver before becoming a training exercise now ended up as something else entirely: Finding peace.

Somehow, looking towards the establishment that was built on the mountain on the other side of the valley at this angle changed his perspective entirely. What seemed impossible before suddenly felt like destiny. As Donatello would explain, it probably had a lot to do with his subconscious responding to the height at which he looked down on his target, like a big bully on a smaller child on the playground. Whatever the psychology, Raphael ignored it and imagined himself on top of the world.

After a few moments, he suddenly took notice of the strong, chilly wind that blew against him. He took this as his cue to climb down some. He made one last glance towards Shredder's sanctuary before deciding that changing his point of view of it would give him no tactful advantage after all. But he didn't care; the climb was far from wasted.

Slowly, he began to climb back down, this time managing to find a much easier route that lead through a forest of trees and bushes. There was even a small stream, its soothing sound of running water greeting him during his descent. He decided to follow it.

He did not expect where it would lead him.

His eyes widened somewhat, and he immediately went into stealth mode, when he saw Karai sitting atop a boulder by the stream. Her back was to him, her legs crossed, the back of her hands resting on her knees.

She was meditating.

As quickly and silently as he could, he slipped behind the bark of a tree. His foot very nearly caught the root sticking out of the ground in his haste. When he peeked out from behind the tree, he was relieved to see that his presence remained unnoticed. He wasn't particularly sure why he was relieved; it wasn't the same way he feared getting in trouble if he somehow disturbed Splinter. No, it was just interesting to see somebody in their natural state of being, when they think no one is watching.

Especially in Karai's case.

With all that's happened – with all that's he discovered about her and what she's been up to in her three months absence, it should probably be enough to convince him that she had finally come to their side. Or at the very least turned against the Shredder. But in truth, he still didn't trust her. He couldn't get it out of his mind that this could be some elaborate plan of hers to get them all on Shredder's turf. Last night, he slept with one eye open, listening intently for movement in the room next to his, where she slept.

Now, he watched her less suspiciously and more curiously. He watched her hands gradually come together, fingers interlocked except for her thumbs and indexes, and then slowly raised above her head. Her movements were graceful, peaceful. Not at all aggressive or threatening. Not even slightly anxious or reticent. Completely calm, completely open. Not even Leonardo had ever appeared so serene during his meditation.

Even still, his eyes narrowed. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't convince himself that she wasn't still the same conniving, resentful, evil kunoichi he'd met on the rooftop years ago.

He'd spent a lot of time talking to Slash about it. Whenever he brought up his doubts to Michelangelo and Donatello, they remained oddly silent on the matter. Splinter as well, to his surprise, ever since the three of them had last spoken back at the lair before leaving for Japan. Raphael assumed he was just giving him space to deliberate. He appreciated the gesture, but he'd have felt better discussing it with somebody. That somebody ended up being Slash.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Slash had reminded him. And he was right. Raphael was happy to give Slash that chance. Perhaps Karai deserved the same courtesy.

So he would leave it to her to convince him.

Karai had mentioned that some people would be joining them later this morning. Rebels, she'd clarified, against Shredder. She'd hesitated, however, when Michelangelo asked who they were. She'd said it was complicated and that they would understand once these allies of theirs arrived.

But Raphael didn't feel like waiting anymore.

That's why, when he accidentally cracked a branch under his foot, he wasn't ashamed when Karai broke out of her meditation and turned around.

"Hi."

Karai nodded cautiously. "Hi."

He fell quiet, suddenly losing all his previously garnered confidence and feeling rude for interrupting.

"How'd you find me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "By accident," he answered. "Sorry."

Her eyes eventually wandered to their surroundings. "It's great here, isn't it?"

"It's incredible." Raphael fake-coughed and tried to quell the enthusiasm in his voice, "I mean, yeah, it's nice I guess."

She uncrossed her legs, shifting them so they draped over the side of the boulder, toes hovering just above the running water.

"You're up early," Raphael pointed out to make small-talk.

"I'm always up this early."

"You come here?"

She nodded and looked down at her reflection in the water. "Sometimes. I've lived here my whole life; I've found a lot of remote spots like this one." She lifted her foot to pull off her sandal, then her sock. "They're good to just get away once in a while." The streaming water altered its course when her toe touched the surface.

"From the Shredder."

The atmosphere immediately tensed. Raphael felt guilty, but only slightly. It had been the elephant in the room for a long time now. It was time to acknowledge it.

Eventually, Karai dropped her suddenly-stiff shoulders. "Yeah," she exhaled.

Raphael averted his gaze for a moment. 'A second chance,' he reminded himself. When he returned his attention to her, his expression and tone softened: "How was he?" he asked as he plopped himself down on a nearby rotting log by the stream. "You know, as a _dad_."

"As depraved as you can imagine," she answered. "He likes to listen to himself talk, especially when it's distorting the truth and undermining his own mistakes." Her voice had gone sour. "He pretty much dedicated all his father-daughter time to making me hate my own people."

"Yeah, I don't have to imagine," Raphael muttered under his breath.

Karai eyed him empathetically and sighed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said, her tone sincere. "He has a way with getting in your head. But you did well to break free." She embraced her knee tightly to her chest. "It took me too long to realize the truth."

"But you had your whole life of him turning you against Splinter," Raphael countered, frowning dismally. "He had me for a few days, and by the end of it I was ready to obliterate my own brothers." He turned his head away, eyes glistening. "I grew up with them, played with them, sparred with them, ate pizza with them…then just like that I was about to tear them to shreds. And I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to."

"I know," Karai agreed; "it sucks big time."

Raphael immediately spun around to look at her, those words clicking in his mind – the words he used months ago to express slight sympathy before returning to his heated tirade against her. She too appeared distraught, eyes closed as the terrible memory of her mind control flooded back.

Then, suddenly, he somehow remembered what Splinter had said to him back at the lair:

 _"I know you have been struggling to come to terms with your encounter with the Shredder,"_ he'd said. _"I would like for you to speak with someone who understands your ordeal."_

He was talking about Karai. In the effort to get them all to Japan, Raphael had forgotten all about it. But here he was now, talking to the only person who really understood the power Shredder could have over someone if he wanted it bad enough. How he could coax, coerce, and win over someone's loyalty with nothing more than ill-intented words and open arms. All this time, he resented Karai for her service to his Sensei's worst enemy. Now, here he was defending her.

"Raphael?"

A pause. "Yeah."

Another pause, longer this time. "I'm sorry." Her voice was poignant and filled with remorse. Genuine remorse.

Raphael sighed. He fought himself on what to say before finally settling on, "Don't be."

"No, I am. You were right not to trust me." After another moment's silence, Karai half-smiled and shrugged a shoulder as she reminisced. "Actually, it's kind of what I needed."

Raphael eyed her perplexedly. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" She paused to put the words together, circling her toes around in the stream. "To be honest, being given a ton of chances, being nurtured and looked after and empathized for… I don't think it was doing me any good. Don't misunderstand, I owe you guys my life, but…" She sighed and looked up at the treetops. "I didn't have the drive I needed when your family was welcoming me with open arms."

He nodded understandingly, knowing exactly what she meant. Negative reinforcement.

"I don't need to be treated like a delicate flower," she asserted. "When you confronted me that night…" She smiled when Raphael looked away regretfully. "No, it's okay; I needed to hear it."

"Seriously?"

"You were right. I hadn't done anything to earn your trust yet. So," she said confidently, "I left so I could try and make up for all the wrong I did you all."

Raphael grinned at the realization that, despite his sleepless nights stewing in guilt and uncertainty, he had unintentionally done the right the right thing. "Well," he said, "if means anything, I'd say you're on the right track."

She smiled. "Thanks. It does."

The mood was lightened from then on. The running stream, the whistle of the wind, rustling leaves, and overhead birds filled the silence. For a moment, there was peace between them that extended beyond audible.

"So, these rebel friends of yours…"

"They should be here by midday," she affirmed.

Raphael nodded. "Some time to kill then."

"Yeah." She pulled her sock back over her foot, then replaced her sandal.

He eyed her intently. "Do you…wanna train together for a bit?"

She looked at him, brow furrowed, attempting to determine if he was serious, to which he silently replied with the shrug of his shoulder and smirk. She smiled appreciatively.

"All right," she agreed, voice bright; "but we're starting with some katas first."

Raphael snorted and rolled his eyes. "All right, _Leo_."

Karai initially laughed, but it faded into a sad, detached silence as she diverted her gaze away. Raphael became sorrowfully quiet as well, realizing the poignancy of his choice of comparison. Before the mood became sombre again, the despairing thought of the motive for their efforts lingering heavily over them, he quickly picked up the energy when he shot to his feet. "Let's get started then, huh?"

She brushed away a tear forming at the corner of her eye. After inhaling and exhaling deeply, Karai straightened her back and smiled up self-assuredly at him. She stood and assumed her first kata stance, Raphael doing the same next to her.

The rest of that morning, until the sun was high above their heads, the two of them trained and sparred together until they finally returned to the monastery to make up for their missed breakfast.

* * *

Raphael was running on pure adrenaline.

He hadn't slept all night, and of course the events at Shredder's lair were nothing if not physically and mentally strenuous. But, to his own surprise, he wasn't the least bit tired. Once the medic had finished treating his injuries, he spent a lot of time wandering from station to station, doing what he could for the brave Hamato and Foot soldiers. He felt like he owed them for saving his shell and his brother's.

Finally, he took a moment to peek into Leonardo's room. It was cramped and a little musty, but they'd opened the shutters of one of the windows to get some fresh air circulating. Raphael was no expert, but he would have suggested closing them upon seeing Leonardo, lying across the cot, shivering. Beads of sweat dotted his face, arms, and legs, and his breathing was uncomfortably rapid. But Raphael took solace in seeing that his wounds appeared skillfully cleaned and dressed.

Donatello hovered over Leonardo, adjusting what looked like an IV tube hanging from a long pole. The tube was hooked to his arm, dispensing some clear liquid into his vein. Despite Leonardo's eyes being somewhat glazed over, he seemed to be fairly cognisant. At the moment, he was lightly conversing with Donatello, while Satoshi was playing with a wire and some dark red liquid in a Petri dish nearby.

April was in there as well, sitting on a chair in the corner. He wasn't sure if Leonardo was even lucid enough to register her presence. But she made no effort to make herself known, instead sitting in silence as she watched. She looked both physically and emotionally exhausted, yet also entirely alert and focused on whatever meaningless conversation Leonardo and Donatello were having. Raphael considered insisting she rest as her presence seemed unnecessary; but given he'd received that exact same suggestion from many of the medics to whom he'd offered his help, she probably had about as much chance of actually doing so that he did.

Donatello finally noticed him standing there. When he locked gazes with him, he silently told him to wait before looking towards Satoshi. "Doc, um…I'll be right back." He quietly called over his shoulder, "Hey, April, would you mind talking with Leo?"

April shot to her feet. "Sure. What do I say?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied as she came next to Leonardo on the opposite side of the cot. "Anything you want. Just keep him talking and alert. If he seems confused or stops making sense, let me know."

"M'fine," Leonardo murmured. He glanced up towards April, smiling crookedly. "Donnie's afraid of big dogs."

Donatello quickly exclaimed, "Hey! Come on, doctor-patient confidentiality."

April laughed, taking Leonardo's hand gently.

Raphael eyed Donatello bemused as his eggheaded brother left the room and carefully shut the door behind him. "Dogs?" he smirked.

"Yeah, well, _cockroaches_ ," Donatello reminded him.

Raphael shrugged. His expression then changed to that of unease when Donatello turned around, suddenly appearing serious. "How is he, Don?"

He rubbed the back of his head, a look of uncertainty washing over his face. "He's all right now, though I think Satoshi's right about the blood poisoning. It was hard without an X-ray or ultrasound, but we managed to trace the bacteria's origin and applied the cefazolin we had left. Hopefully we'll get more soon and we'll see some positive changes."

"So, right now…?"

"Now, we just wait and monitor him. We're keeping his blood pressure stable, and once we get some broad-spectrum antibiotics, we'll administer those right away and see if that makes a difference."

Raphael nodded contemplatively. "Okay."

Donatello grinned. "Did you get all that?"

"Yeah, no, I got it," he insisted semi-confidently. "You got it covered, right? I mean, you've done it before."

Donatello collapsed against the wall behind him, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Honestly, it's not easy, Raph. Here we are, all these people ready and eager to help us, totally accepting of us, and we still can't have access to proper medical equipment." His eyes widened and he raised his hands defensively. "I mean, I know they're doing their best! And I'm completely thankful. But…"

"I know, Don," Raphael said reassuringly.

Donatello's shoulders dropped and he hung his head. His exhaustion was coming to the surface. "I don't know anymore, Raph. I'm tired, I'm disorganized, and I'm worried about Leo. I'm sick of not having any real answers for Mikey when he asks how it's going every five minutes." He huffed.

"Donnie," Raphael stopped him. "Come on, you got this. This is no time to give up."

"I'm not. I just…"

"Remember the first time we left New York, how many times we thought Leo wouldn't wake up? And then, when he did, how we wondered if he'd ever recover?"

He nodded.

"Well, he came out of that pretty good, didn't he? And he's in the same good hands now as he was then. However bad it seems, that's all Mikey and I need to know."

Donatello gave a sad smile. "Thanks, Raph."

"I mean it, brother," Raphael replied assuredly.

After a moment's silence, Donatello finally looked up at his brother. "You know, for the record, you did the right thing last night."

Raphael glanced up curiously, face twisted in confusion.

"Don't get me wrong, it was incredibly stupid, dangerous, and irresponsible, and everything Mikey said to you earlier I totally agree with. But you were right, even if you didn't know it." Donatello explained, "It's an estimate, but Leo probably got the infection sometime in the last 36 hours. If we'd waited another day, there's a high chance he would've gone into septic shock. Which is _really_ not good."

Raphael's eyes glazed over at the thought of Leonardo, all on his own, in that cold prison, as ill as he was now. Or even worse off.

"Raph, you probably saved his life."

Raphael straightened his posture, finally meeting his brother's eyes. "Yeah, well, it's up to you now, brainiac," he asserted. "If I could go against all odds, you can too."

Donatello smiled again, this time more heartily, before slowly turning to the door and twisting the knob.

As the door opened, he caught a glimpse of April, who'd pulled up the chair next to the cot, holding a damp cloth to Leonardo's forehead and stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. They were in a conversation, seemingly deeper and more intimate than getting a pet for the lair, so much so that April barely acknowledged him entering. Satoshi, however, nodded to him as Donatello approached his work station.

"Any change?" Donatello asked, scanning the table.

Satoshi gestured to the Petri dish. "Yes, I've narrowed it down to the _staphylococci_ family. If it's _aureus_ , we may have meticillin resistance to worry about."

"Can't we get a hold of vancomycin?"

"I wrote it for my assistants to get, but my fear is that it is not available at the village pharmacy."

Donatello nodded his head tensely, taking in a shaky breath. "Well, let's hope for the best then." He turned around and moved to stand by the cot. April finally took her eyes off Leonardo to look up at him questionably. With nothing else to offer, Donatello gave her a reassuring smile.

* * *

 **~ One Day Ago ~**

"Master Splinter," Donatello droned, rubbing the back of his head tenderly, "I don't think I'll get it."

Splinter patted the end of the wooden Katana in his palm from behind where Donatello knelt in the grass. "You must learn patience, my student," he said sternly. "In order to sense an incoming strike, you must free your mind of your expectations."

"But how, Sensei? Ow!" He glared at Michelangelo kneeling next to him, who looked away innocently after having slapped the back of his brother's head. He returned his attention to his Sensei. "I know you're behind me, and I know you're going to strike. Isn't that the point?"

Splinter stroked his goatee. "Once more then."

Donatello sighed drearily and faced forward. He shut his eyes and waited. And waited.

Whack! "Ow!"

Donatello opened his eyes and looked to Michelangelo, who was rubbing the back of his head, face contorted in pain.

"Did you know I would do that?"

Donatello eyed his Master. "No."

"Do not assume you can predict your enemy's next move," Splinter explained. "If you raise your expectations for one scenario, you eliminate the possibility of other attacks." He held the wooden Katana up. "That is why you must focus on your surroundings. Again."

Michelangelo glanced up as well while Donatello prepared himself again. "But Sensei," he said, "does that mean we can't surprise our enemies?"

"Very wise, Michelangelo," Splinter acknowledged. "Our enemy is cunning and vigilant. That is why we must exercise extra caution to ensure our presence remains unknown."

Michelangelo nodded and smiled at Donatello, whose eyes remained closed, a look of concentration on his face. Michelangelo poked him with his elbow anyway. "Shredder won't ever see us coming. Right, D?" He continued to nudge him. "Huh, am I right, bro? Am I right?"

Whack! "Ow!"

Donatello smiled, revelling in Michelangelo's punishment from Splinter, keeping his eyes shut. "For the record," he muttered, "I saw that one coming." He also sensed the glare Michelangelo was shooting him.

Splinter was readying the wooden Katana once more when Casey Jones sauntered out of the monastery to meet them. "Hey, anyone seen Raph?" he inquired.

"Nope." Michelangelo replied. "He wasn't in our room when we woke up."

Casey scratched his head. "Weird. He said we'd train together this morning. But I can't find him anywhere."

"Raphael has taken on many duties since our arrival," Splinter reminded him. "Perhaps he is preoccupied and has lost track of time."

"Sounds about right," Donatello agreed. "You can't trust Raph to keep to a schedule."

Casey sighed, "I guess. Still, I'm bored as heck."

"Wanna get whacked in the head?" Michelangelo offered, just as he was struck again by the wooden Katana. "Ow!" he yelped once more, growing irritated now.

As Donatello savoured the moment, a monk approached from behind Casey. He appeared highly enthused as he sported a large smile. "Hamato-san," he acknowledged with a bow. "We have received some honoured guests."

Splinter furrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, Karai and Raphael were nearing the Swallow's Nest, Karai leading the descent as they were following a path she had found long ago. It was winding and uneven, but clear of obstacles too intrusive enough to hinder their climb down. Raphael trailed a few meters behind, light on his feet, leaping over stones and branches. His stomach was grumbling for a proper breakfast, but his mind thought nothing of it, distracted with other thoughts. He was following Karai down the mountain, but despite the mild resolution the two of them had come to whilst training and meditating together, he was still inwardly debating about following her anywhere else.

He then heard Karai gasp suddenly. "They're here!" she exclaimed, dashed forward.

"What?" Raphael looked around the front of the monastery perplexed. He spotted nothing out of the ordinary to indicate any such thing. "How do you know?"

By then, Karai was too far ahead to hear. So Raphael sprinted afterwards, grumbling in frustration when he stumbled clumsily over a largely-diverging tree branch.

As they entered the monastery, he only then noticed a large log across the ground by the entrance. Attached to either end was a tarp carrying a bundle of supplies, including weaponry and food. Who they belonged to he would soon find out.

He caught up her just as she came to a stop in the doorway leading outside, into the monastery's garden. What greeted him caused every muscle in his body to suddenly tense, and a shiver to crawl up his spine. His green eyes enlarged as he took in the sight that equally stunned his family and friends. Turning to face him and Karai were a group of six soldiers, three wearing red uniforms with the Hamato symbol on their backs, the remaining three wearing black customary Foot uniforms. All of them were without masks, bearing very-much human faces.

"Mistress Karai," said one of the Foot soldiers, bowing respectfully along with the five other soldiers. "Welcome back to Japan."

Karai smiled and bowed her head in return. Raphael's mouth hung open in astonishment.

"It seems you have been busy these past few months, Karai," Splinter remarked.

A Hamato soldier, well-older than the other soldiers, commented, "I could not believe it when she enlightened us of who she really was." He looked towards her. "When she first found us, we were prepared to defend ourselves from a Foot ambush."

"How..." Raphael drifted off, at a loss for words.

"Yeah, we were just getting to that," Donatello proclaimed. He too was clearly still in disbelief.

"Forgive us," declared another Hamato soldier, the only female among them. She was young, but still fairly older than Karai. Along her cheekbone was a scar from what appeared to be an old laceration. "It seems we owe you an explanation."

"Since Oroku Saki declared an outright attack on the Hamato," continued the remaining Hamato soldier from next to her, "many of us were driven into hiding." He ran his fingers across his upper lip, smoothing down his thin moustache, holding back a lot of harbored anger.

The oldest Hamato soldier looked to Splinter. "Because we thought you had perished, our spirits were broken, and we were reluctant to fight back. So we remained in hiding for several years, out in a remote community far away. There, we were kindly sheltered by those who defied the Shredder."

Splinter appeared overwhelmed, practically on the verge of tears. "You don't know how pleased I am to see that you all have survived."

"And you as well, Master Splinter," replied the Hamato, bowing his head. The other two joined him. "We owe this reunion to your honorable daughter."

Karai smiled humbly before turning to more pressing matters. "What news to you all bring?"

"Mistress Karai," said the oldest Foot soldier, bowing along with the rest of the newly-arrived soldiers in respect. "We are very sorry for the delay. Due to the urgent nature of this planned attack, many of the soldiers are still not ready. We were sent ahead to inform you in person."

"There's more of them?" Casey whispered to April.

"We ask that you give us one more day," requested the younger male Hamato soldier. "They should be arriving by early tomorrow morning."

Karai nodded graciously. "Thank you, Yuito," she replied before turning to Splinter. "That should give us time to go over our plan of attack." She then turned to Raphael. "Once the rest of our soldiers arrive, we can brief everybody at one time."

"Ooh! I can help with that," Michelangelo said, waving his hand wildly in the air.

"Right," Raphael rolled his eyes. "If I want to confuse everyone, I'll let you take the stage."

Michelangelo mulled over the insult.

"Um, yeah, sorry to interrupt," Donatello interjected, "but can we just go back a bit to the part where we're decidedly teaming up with the Foot to go up against…well, the _Foot_?"

"You gotta keep an open mind, Donnie," Raphael insisted.

"Yeah, that's another thing. You're taking this unnaturally well. Did a mountain goat kick you in the head while you were gone?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, Donatello," Karai suddenly spoke from next to Raphael. The group went quiet and waited for the explanation they deserved. "And I know you all are working through some trust issues with me as it is. But if you could give these soldiers the same chance you gave me, I promise they'll prove their honor."

Splinter placed his hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Let us begin by allowing them to explain."

The female Hamato soldier stepped forward. "We understand your hesitation, Donatello," she declared. "We too were distrustful in the beginning."

"You see, it was only months ago that Karai found us," explained the older Hamato soldier. "She was accompanied by Satoshi here," he gestured towards the only other older-looking soldier among them, a Foot soldier with hair traditionally slicked and tied back into a topknot. "Of course, our guard was up. And when she explained who she was, we were as doubtful as you all are now."

"I informed them that I, and many other noble Foot soldiers, had been exiled and to be replaced with robots," Satoshi explained.

"Just as well," said another Foot soldier bitterly. This one was probably around Karai's age, hair shaved off entirely, revealing a large scar along his temple. "A robot is the only thing thoughtless enough to continue to serve Shredder."

Satoshi nodded. "Indeed. It was for the best. Our noble Clan has already been reduced to nothing but a machine. Unthinking, unyielding, and bent entirely on vengeance. There is no honor left in the Foot Clan with Shredder in charge. So," he said confidently as he placed a hand on the Hamato soldier next to him, "that is why we have joined with these noble warriors."

The oldest Hamato soldier nodded his head to Satoshi. "Since our Clans united, we have spent much of our time training and preparing to take down the Shredder," he declared, before suddenly lowering his voice. "Until last week, when we received word that Shredder had finally returned to Japan, bringing with him a prisoner."

The atmosphere suddenly thickened to the point where you could cut it with a knife. Muscles tensed and heartbeats raced.

"Leo," Michelangelo said under his breath, prompting April to wrap her arm around his shell.

"You've seen him?" Raphael asked urgently.

The female Hamato shook her head. "Not us, no. One of the village fishermen spotted him."

"Based on the description he gave, Mistress Karai quickly realized who it was. That is when she left us to go back to America."

Now it was Karai's turn to speak. "I was so afraid something terrible had happened to all of you," she declared, voice raw with fear, momentarily losing her composure before immediately regathering it. "Before I left, I told them it was time to prepare to infiltrate Shredder's lair."

"And that we will," the young Foot soldier finished, bowing once again. "The time has come to dethrone the Shredder."

"And save Leo," added Michelangelo ecstatically.

The oldest Hamato soldier nodded. "Yes." He looked to Splinter. "We are honored to serve you once again, Splinter-san."

" _Hai_ ," they all said in unison.

At this point, Splinter's eyes had grown so wide and glossy, the Turtles could see their full reflections in them. They watched their Master wipe away the tears brimming his eyes before shining a smile. "And I am honored to have such noble and brave warriors to call my allies." He glanced towards Karai and his adopted sons. "You have all made my aging heart fill with hope I had long lost for my…" His grin widened – "for _our_ Clans.

"Now," he proclaimed, "it appears we can begin on building a brighter, more peaceful future."

* * *

"Raphael," Splinter called.

Raphael had been busy fetching more gauze for one of the medics when he heard his name. He sensed the secrecy in his Sensei's beckoning when he turned around to see him. So he slipped quietly away from the hustle and bustle of scrambling Foot and Hamato soldiers in the makeshift infirmary to greet him at the edge of the crowded room.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"If you are not occupied, I would like for you to accompany me to the village."

Raphael was taken aback. "Us? Just…walking around?"

Splinter nodded. "Mutants are not an unusual sight to these people."

"Yeah, working for Shredder though."

"That is true." He rested a hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Then we must convince them that we are not all a threat to their peace, don't you agree?"

Raphael lowered his gaze in consideration.

"There is an old friend I would like to visit. I believe he may be very helpful to us."

And with that, Raphael and his Master left the hideout together to make for the village. They felt it best not to inform anybody other than one of the more mature soldiers Splinter had befriended. After all, they didn't need Michelangelo bouncing around the village in people's faces, frightening the life out of them.

"We will remain discreet," Splinter had said. And discreet they stayed, or at least as discreet as a giant mutant rat and turtle wandering through the village could be. It was early morning, and the village was slowly coming to life. Already they were turning heads, being pointed at, and stimulating whispered conversations between the locals. Children were steered away cautiously, and some showed no sign of hiding their contempt as they glowered in their direction.

Of course, Raphael couldn't blame them. These locals were brought up in fear of the Shredder, who probably used his mutant goons to scare them into submission. With them strutting down their streets, the people probably thought they were on surveillance duty or something. It was especially jarring when they passed what appeared to be a police officer, who, upon catching sight of them approaching, immediately changed direction so as to avoid them. It was then that Raphael finally rolled his eyes and looked towards his Sensei in slight amusement. His expression faltered, however, when he saw Splinter's expression was that of melancholy.

Raphael, after a moment of awkward silence, finally said, "It's gonna take a while for them to trust us, isn't it Sensei?"

"Yes," Splinter replied, suddenly changing course and approaching a cart selling fresh vegetables. "These are simple people. We must be equally grateful that we may trust them."

Raphael nodded as he watched his Sensei pull out their local currency and hold it out to the merchant, who eyed him hesitantly."Ohba," Splinter said kindly. " _Onegaishimasu_." People around them were staring in their direction, but Splinter remained polite and casual as the merchant accepted the money and wrapped what looked like a bunch of large basil leaves into a small bag.

" _Arigatou gozaimasu_." Splinter gratefully accepted the bag and bowed his head out of respect. Raphael grinned at the merchant clearly taken aback by Splinter's formalities. Before following his Master, he bowed his head to the merchant as well, relishing in his bewilderment.

He certainly couldn't do that when buying a pizza in New York.

Raphael and Splinter walked side-by-side, and Raphael watched Splinter blissfully inspect the bushel. "The shiso. It is a type of Japanese mint. My mother would grow them in her garden and use them to wrap onigiri." He smiled at Raphael. "We did not have pizza where I was raised."

The rest of the walk was uphill, away from the marketplace and into a narrow street crowded with old, wooden houses. It was at the end house they stopped at. Splinter knocked gently as Raphael surveyed their surroundings. He caught sight of two children, probably about three and six, in their pyjamas peeking out of their bedroom window across the street. They were staring directly at him. He waved, curious about the response he would get. The younger boy almost immediately waved back while the older girl simply kept gawking.

Raphael turned around when he heard the lock on the door being undone, stepping back with Splinter as the door gradually opened to reveal a middle-aged man in a robe. He had heavy bags under his eyes, and his silver hair was slightly frazzled. " _Un_ …" the man grumbled in a mildly irritated tone; however, his breath hitched at the sight of them.

Splinter nodded his head. "Haru," he said. " _Najimi_."

The man's eyes widened for a moment. It certainly wasn't a sight anybody would expect to wake up to, Raphael acknowledged. He watched as the old man's eyes narrowed contemplatively.

"My dear Haru. It is me, Yoshi."

His eyes widened again. He stood speechless in his doorway for a long time before stuttering, "…Yoshi?" His face went through a flurry of emotions, his wrinkled brow taking on multiple shapes as he processed the information. "Could it be? _Osananajimi_." His hand raised hesitantly, hovering over Splinter's chest. " _Oyamaa_. What has become of you?"

Splinter stroked one of his whiskers with a small chuckle. "I know my form is less than welcoming, but…"

"None of that. Man or rat, Hamato Yoshi in any form is welcome in my home." He stepped to one side. "Come in," he insisted before eyeing Raphael curiously.

Splinter laid a hand on Raphael's carapace. "My apologies. This is my student and son, Raphael. Raphael, this is my old friend, Matsui Haru."

Raphael nodded and bowed respectfully. He was pleased to see a man so quickly accepting of their appearance. The last time a human hadn't immediately screamed, run away, or tried to destroy them on sight was when they first met Murakami-san. Something about the Japanese; perhaps they thought mutants were of some spiritual significance. Donatello probably knew enough about the Shinto religion to get him up to speed.

"Please, come in. You are most welcome." They did, and they were offered tea and steamed rice, which he had been preparing. Splinter respectfully and graciously declined. They stood together in the cramped room after Matsui-san turned off the stove and kettle.

"You will forgive me for my blundering," he urged them. "I am both shocked and relieved to see you, old friend." His expression went solemn for a moment. "I had… I had thought you had perished."

"I was of good fortune that night. Your good cousin, Taisei, was generous enough to assist me out of town in secrecy."

Raphael stood there astonished. It rarely occurred to him the hardships his Sensei had endured to get to America safely.

"But the fire. Dear Tang Shen…"

Splinter's ears shifted back as he hung his head, the painful memory evocative in his mind.

Matsui-san lowered his head as well, sighing. "I am sorry."

Raphael watched sadly as his Sensei fell into a solemn silence.

But Matsui-san gasped in sudden realization. "Oh, Yoshi, there is something you must know. It is about your daughter, Miwa. I suspect Saki ha-"

Splinter waved his hand to interrupt him. "Yes, I know what you suspect. Much has happened since we last saw each other. Especially since last night." Matsui-san opened his mouth to speak, but Splinter added, "It is a long story. Right now, I must ask an urgent favor."

"You are but to name it."

Splinter gestured to Raphael. "I have three other sons. One of them is gravely injured and ill. Unfortunately, our supplies are limited, and our men and women do not possess the same remedial skills that you do."

Matsui-san nodded understandingly. "Say nothing more, my friend. It would be my pleasure." He added, eyeing Raphael, "Although I worry that my knowledge of your anatomy will hinder my help."

"Do not worry. My other son, Donatello, would be able to assist you. And," Splinter's voice went into a whisper, "you are unmatched in your skills with the healing mantra."

"And I am one of the last," he replied bitterly. "As I was the only non-Hamato to learn it, I am now the only one in the village."

Splinter nodded. "All the more reason I need you, _Najimi_."

"Can you help my brother?" Raphael blurted out suddenly.

This took the three of them by surprise, especially as this was the first time Raphael had spoken at all since their arrival. Immediately, Raphael realized that this may have been disrespectful. He averted his gaze just as soon as his eyes had met Matsui-san's, lowering his head humbly. "Please, Matsui-san," he practically whispered.

Splinter smiled. Matsui-san grinned as well as he bent down to Raphael's level. "Young Turtle," he said. "It would be an honor to offer your family my services."

Raphael glanced up, eyes alight with gratitude.

In no time, they were on their way. Matsui-san brought with him a bag of medical utensils, prescriptions, and a few remedial herbs. According to Splinter, he was the village's best and most trusted surgeon and healer, which Matsui-san modestly dismissed as an exaggeration. Finally, when he had finished collecting all that he needed, they left the house and made their way back down the hill towards the village square.

There was no shortage of looks sent their way as they did. The locals went from cynical to baffled at the sight of their respected surgeon sauntering through the marketplace

"So, _Raphael_ ," Matsui-san emphasized, grinning down towards the mutant turtle.

Raphael glanced up, suddenly distracted from the looks he was still receiving from the villagers.

"And your brother's name, Donatello," he added.

"Yeah," Raphael agreed guardedly.

Matsui-san chuckled under his breath and nodded, silent and contemplative for a brief moment. "By any chance, are your other brothers' names Michelangelo and Leonardo?"

It took Raphael by surprise at first, but he quickly remembered the famous names he and his brothers were named after. From Raphael's other side, Splinter laughed lightly. Raphael joined in the amusement. "Good guess," he replied drolly, now feeling far more comfortable with the elder than was a stranger only half an hour ago.

Matsui-san smiled at Splinter. "Fine names, Yoshi," he decreed.

Raphael eventually noticed that there was an air of secrecy between his Sensei and Matsui-san as they made the amused yet slightly dismayed exchange. He felt like he was left out of an inside joke. A common feeling he had whenever his brothers referenced science, comics, or Space Heroes mumbo-jumbo.

Finally, Matsui-san explained to him, "For as long as I've known her, dear Tang Shen had always dreamed of visiting Italy." She eyed Splinter in case he'd crossed a line. He was pleased to see Splinter smiling fondly instead. He continued, "She was an avid fan of the great Renaissance artists you and your brothers are named after."

Voice warm and reminiscing, Splinter added, "I had planned to take her to Florence for Miwa's first birthday."

Both Raphael and Matsui-san fell into a sad silence at what would have been for Hamato Yoshi's preceding family. But Splinter, after a moment, glanced down at his new family and tenderly wrapped his arm around Raphael's shell.

The distraction from the staring and gossiping townsfolk lasted until, finally, one local sternly approached them. He appeared to be in his mid-forties; respectable, but carried a suspicious scowl on his face. "Matsui-sensei," he hissed. He went on in Japanese, but Raphael sensed a lot of anger and warning in his voice. This man clearly had a lot of respect for the town's surgeon, not looking to embarrass or shame him, but rather to caution him. Especially seeing how he kept gesturing towards both Raphael and his Master.

Matsui-san patiently waited for the man to finish before calmly responding. "Please, these mutants are nobody to fear. They are friends."

Before the man could argue, Splinter interjected. "It is good to see you again, Rokurou."

In that moment of realization, the man went completely white. As he tried to register the extreme familiarity of the mutant rat's voice, Matsui-san continued forward, raising his medical bag into view. "Forgive me, but Hamato Yoshi requires my urgent assistance."

Raphael, trailing in tow, glanced back just in time to see the man mouth, "Yoshi…?"

And like wildfire, as Matsui-san, Splinter, and Raphael began their journey back to the rebel hideout, the word of Hamato Yoshi's survival spread throughout the village.

* * *

April lethargically wandered into the infirmary, shoulders hunched and eyes red. She had stayed by Leonardo's side since their arrival, mostly to spring to Donatello's aid should he need her to monitor him, talk to him, or even assist Satoshi with his diagnostic experiments. Checking the time, she realized that it had been several hours. Donatello had eventually convinced her to rest, although April only reluctantly agreed. She insisted he do the same, but to no avail. Besides, she couldn't possibly ask him to leave Leonardo's side now.

When she looked up from the floor, she caught Casey Jones staring at her in concern from across the room. "Hey, Casey. How do you feel?" April asked, smiling sympathetically through her fatigue, ambling towards him.

Casey, sitting atop a chair adjacent to the table he'd been treated on, lifted his shirt to run his fingers along the stitches across his abdomen. "Seems alright. It's a little sore is all."

"Good. But quit touching it! You'll break the stitches."

Michelangelo, upon finally noticing her presence, immediately rushed to greet April from the other side of the room, leaving the startled Foot medic he had been assisting alone. "Hey! How's Leo?"

April hesitated, but eventually gave him a sad smile. "Donnie's doing his best, Mikey," she assured him sweetly. "Just give him some time."

Michelangelo's arms dropped to his side, sombrely nodding and accepting the same vague, dissatisfying answer.

"Is he getting better at least?" Casey asked, a tinge of solemn seriousness in his voice that April wasn't used to.

"I don't really know," April replied. "Donnie says he'll get worse before he gets better, so there's that."

At this point, even Michelangelo was running out of encouraging things to say, so April pulled him into a side embrace. "It'll be all right, Mikey."

"Yeah, dude," Casey chimed in, lightly punching Michelangelo in the arm. "He's tough. And Donnie's, like, a super-genius. Him and this Satoshi guy will fix him up."

Drawing their attention away from the heartening yet listless discussion, the front door of the rebel's refuge squeaked open. They all turned, and the first sight that greeted them was Raphael entering the makeshift infirmary.

"Hey, Raph," Michelangelo proclaimed. "Where've you been?"

They watched as Splinter followed, who was then followed by a complete stranger. Michelangelo, April, and Casey went quiet as they inquisitively watched the man enter. The Hamato and Foot soldiers in the room also eyed him, some suspiciously and others ecstatically.

One of the Hamato soldiers spoke first. "Matsui-sensei. It is an honor."

Matsui-san had a look of pure astonishment as he observed the scene before him. Rebels littered the tiny, run-down bungalow. On the outside, it had appeared entirely abandoned, wooden planks laid up against the sides. Inside, it was as active and busy as his medical clinic, chockfull of Hamato soldiers he hadn't seen in over a decade, as well as Foot soldiers he had glared down as they intimidatingly wandered the village streets.

"And I had thought you had been exaggerating," he admitted to Splinter, still scanning the room.

Splinter interjected, "If I may show you to my son's room…"

Matsui-san snapped his attention back to his long-time friend. "Of course."

Raphael led him forward. "This way," he insisted.

"Raph, what's going on?"

Splinter replied to April's question, "This is an old friend of mine. He is here to help us tend to Leonardo."

Raphael turned the knob to Leonardo's room and pushed it open. The sight that greeted him and Matsui-san was not a pleasant one. Donatello was hunched over Leonardo, holding an ice pack to his neck and the IV tube high above him. Satoshi was monitoring the ancient EKG. There was a look of anxiety on their faces, a stark contrast to the optimistic expressions Raphael had last seen them with. Leonardo, all the while, also looked far worse than before. He appeared to have worked up a cold sweat, and his fast breathing had become laboured. His face was scrunched up in anguish as he was trapped in some sort of fever dream.

"Donnie, what's happening?" Raphael asked as his brother looked up at them.

"The antibiotics aren't working," Donatello said in a panic. "We're trying the oxacillin now, but he might be passing into septic shock."

Matsui-san squeezed past Raphael and placed his medical bag on a nearby chair. "Young Turtle, I am Matsui Haru. I am a doctor in my village, and I'm here to help."

Donatello didn't question it, instead nodding gratefully. Satoshi grinned, recognizing the man immediately.

Matsui-san, now becoming Matsui-sensei as he rummaged through his bag of supplies, continued to address Donatello and Satoshi. "Have you determined the origin of infection?"

"Hai," said Satoshi. He ran his hand over the bandaged wound on Leonardo's shoulder. "There is a severe amount of inflammation around a laceration above his clavicle."

"For how long has he harbored the infection?"

"We can't say for sure," Donatello replied. "But it would have been a minimum of 24 hours."

He finally pulled out what he was looking for. "I will ask one of you to begin emptying the contents of these capsules." Satoshi took the container of antibiotic and brought them to his work station. Matsui-sensei, meanwhile, slipped on some Latex gloves and turned to Donatello. "Are there any ice packs left?" he asked, gesturing to the one against the side of Leonardo's neck.

"No, that's our only one," Donatello admitted regrettably.

"Very well, fill a large bowl with cold water and bring some towels."

"We'll do that!" April's voice suddenly exclaimed before pulling Casey away from where they were hovering in the doorway.

Matsui-sensei nodded. "Then you will assist me in the meantime. Remove these bandages." As Donatello then proceeded to remove the gauze from Leonardo's shoulder, Matsui-sensei called to the crowd still standing in the doorway behind him. "Yoshi, I will need your assistance as well."

Splinter slipped past both Raphael and Michelangelo to join Matsui-sensei. Donatello finished removing the bandages to reveal the infected, inflamed wound to Leonardo's shoulder. Raphael remembered that one. It didn't look nearly as bad at the time.

Matsui-sensei placed one hand over the wound, the other over Leonardo's forehead. He glanced up at Splinter. "Together now."

Splinter nodded and placed his own hands over Leonardo's chest and abdomen.

"What should I do?" Donatello asked nervously.

"Speak to your brother," Matsui-sensei suggested. "It will help him to focus on unblocking his energy."

Donatello nodded and knelt down next to Leonardo, adjusting the ice pack at his neck.

Raphael and Michelangelo watched, along with a few Foot and Hamato soldiers hovering behind them in the doorway, as Matsui-sensei and their own Sensei began to reprise the healing mantra, and a faint glow appeared beneath their hands. Only time would tell now if there was any hope left for their brother's recovery.

* * *

Meanwhile, Karai stood outside a massive, heavy door blocking her way to the prison cell. After a moment's hesitation, she sucked in a deep breath, opened her eyes, and nodded to the guard standing there. The guard responded by unlocking the door and pushing it open, its old hinges screeching loudly.

Karai entered the dark, cold, damp room. A cage blocked her path to the other side of the cell, to the sole figure in the shadows leaning against the stone wall, shackles binding his wrists and ankles to it. Karai met his gaze, her eyes narrowed.

"Hello, Shredder," she said.

* * *

 _Cover image by RadioJane on DeviantArt_


	4. Looking Back

**~ Two Months Ago ~**

Leonardo sat cross-legged in the dojo, his hands upon his knees and his back straight. The heavy weight on his mind blocked his energy, and he thus found himself unable to meditate no matter how much he centered himself. He sighed as he opened his eyes to glance up at the tree branches hanging over him. Somehow, to his amazement, this tree had found life in the darkness of the sewers. Its roots plunged into the depths of the ground beneath them, yet it had grown tall and strong in the lifetime his family had called the sewers home. He liked to believe that he and his brothers were branches, and his Sensei was the bark, its roots going deep as they enriched it with nutrients.

But these branches also gave the tree life, absorbing carbon dioxide and the little bit of sunlight it could garner. Right now, Leonardo felt like a dying branch, unable to sprout leaves, dangling uselessly from the robust and steady bark.

Despite what Splinter said, he desperately wanted to find Karai. He wanted to bring her back to where she belonged and tell her they forgave her for the wrongs she'd done them. He wanted to finally take down the Shredder and restore honor to the Hamato Clan. He wanted to bring honor back to Splinter, his Master and foster father.

Finally, he shifted his legs so his shins were under him. Kneeling in front of an empty room. Still, he imagined his Sensei standing over him. He replayed his words of reassurance in his mind, imagining him persistently reminding him that Karai would be all right. But even as he did, the more and more times Splinter would say the same thing, the more doubt and fear crept into his voice.

He rose to his feet and walked over to the framed photo of Hamato Yoshi, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa stood atop a shelf between two candles, next to the pet shop bowl he and his brothers came in. He was humbled to know they had a place in Splinter's heart as big as his former family. But he also knew that, no matter how much he and his brothers meant to their Sensei, the void in his heart was still too great for them to fill. Even April and Casey coming into the picture would do nothing to change that.

Deep down, he knew that there was only person who could come close to bringing peace to Splinter.

"Yo, Leo." Leonardo's thoughts were interrupted coarsely. He glanced over his shoulder to see Raphael casually sauntering into the dojo. "What gives? Sensei's out on a training run with April, and you've been in here for like an hour."

"Hey to you too," Leonardo muttered, turning away from him and walking to the center of the dojo.

"Yeah, hey, listen, I'm about to pass out from boredom and am this close to taking it out on Mikey. What'd'ya say we have a game of Hide and Seek in the sewers or something?"

"No thanks."

"Aw come on, it'll be fun. Unless you don't want fun, in which case, think of it as a training exercise."

Leonardo shook his head. "I don't think I'm up to it."

Raphael knit his brow, curiously taking in the look of hopelessness in his brother's eyes. "You cool, man?"

"I'm fine," he responded distantly, glancing once more towards the framed photo. Raphael noticed.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm just gonna go up to the surface for a run. Don't wait up for me."

Raphael glowered as Leonardo brushed past him to leave. Before he could make it though, Raphael dropped to the ground and kicked Leonardo's feet out from under him. Leonardo flailed as he fell forward and landed with a grunt.

"Raph! What's your problem?"

"No, what's _your_ problem?" he countered. "Didn't Sensei tell you to leave it alone?"

Leonardo pushed himself back up onto his feet. "Leave what alone? I said I'm just going for a run."

"You _know_ what. And no, I'm pretty sure that's not all you're going up for." Leonardo avoided eye contact as Raphael stared him down. "Seriously man, she made her choice. Just let her go already."

"What if I don't want to?" Leonardo challenged.

"Then go ahead and leave, 'cause I'm sick of looking at your miserable face."

Leonardo frowned, visibly irritated. "What's your deal, Raph?"

Raphael sighed and took it down a notch. "My deal is all this obsessing over Karai is turning you crazy. You give Slash a hard time, but you still think she's any more trustworthy?"

"I can say the same about you trusting Slash," Leonardo snapped. "And I know you never liked her from the start. Even when she finally came to our side, you still treated her like she was our enemy."

"Cause she's incapable of change!" Raphael argued. "She's had, like, a hundred chances. In the end, she always runs back to the Foot. How much you wanna bet she's willingly working for daddy Shredhead again?"

Leonardo folded his arms across his chest, turning away dismissively. "What do you know about her anyway?"

"As much as you do. Minus whatever you see in your dreams." That earned him a sharp glare, which he gladly returned. "There's nothing good left in her, Leo. The sooner you see that, the better you'll sleep."

"Shredder _brainwashed_ her," Leonardo reminded him. "He used her. You of all people should understand."

Raphael clenched his fists at the memory of being mind-controlled. It was a horrible feeling, being trapped in your own consciousness as your body obeys some exterior force. "That's not even the same thing," Raphael fired back.

"You're right," Leonardo agreed. "Shredder had a hold of Karai her whole life. You were there, Raph. You saw him destroy Splinter's life and take her away. Don't you have any sympathy for her?"

"I would if she hadn't turned out so evil," he decreed bitterly. "Face it, she's not Splinter's daughter anymore. She's Shredder's little princess, and nothing we do is ever gonna change that."

Leonardo lost it then. After holding it in for this long, all of his built-up frustration with Raphael's cruel, callous pessimism burst to the surface, and he suddenly lunged at Raphael and knocked them both to the floor. Once recovering his wits after the unanticipated attack, Raphael kneed him in the gut and shoved him off of him. Leonardo only barely dodged the incoming fist and countered by elbowing Raphael in the side. As Raphael recoiled, Leonardo grabbed his arms and managed to pin him to the ground. Raphael put up no struggle this time, instead staring up and exchanging a heated glare with Leonardo.

"Why don't you say that to Splinter's face?" Leonardo jeered.

Raphael frowned up at his brother, his expression hard, but stayed silent as Leonardo stood up off him and left the dojo. "Don't wait up for me," he heard him call.

* * *

This was his natural environment, Slash reminded himself. In nature, by a still pond, his cold-blooded body nestled atop a rock absorbing the sun's rays. As an intelligent mutant, he felt even more closely connected knowing that he was only steps away from the Turtles in case they needed him. He would be there for him, always.

Slash had a lot of memories as a regular turtle. Way back to when he had washed up into the sewers, caught in a strong current as it dragged him deeper into the darkness. He remembered feeling afraid as he became tangled in six pack rings and watched as he neared what appeared to be a giant drop.

" _Donnie, pass me that stick net thingy!" he heard a voice cry out. A moment later, a tight net came directly into his path and caught him, lifting him out of the water. He bounced as he was pulled in to one side, and he eventually found himself face-to-face with another turtle. This one was larger and more human-like than himself, but young-looking. Large green eyes gleamed as they looked over him. "Poor little guy." He dropped him into the palm of his hand and untangled him from the six pack rings. Once he was free, he smiled and patted his shell. "I'm gonna take care of you."_

Splinter had given Raphael permission to do so, and since then, he and Raphael had become inseparable. Slash smiled fondly at the many memories they shared together. He'd watched Raphael grow up from a wide-eyed child to a rough-and-tumble teenager. Although he was nothing more than a regular turtle and had little speed, agility, or intellect, Slash felt an unbreakable bond between himself and Raphael.

Which was all the more reason he would not leave him or his brothers now. And so he patiently waited atop the rock, watching the small, rundown shack the Foot and Hamato called sanctuary. Waiting to be of further use at Raphael's request.

Once in a while, he would glance towards his dear friend and brother, Leatherhead. He too felt a strong connection to the Turtles after being saved by them on more than one occasion, so he fully understood the loyalty Slash had to them, particularly one of the Turtles. He was currently curled up on the far side of the pond; in his arms, he cradled a despondent Michelangelo.

He and Leatherhead had only joined the Turtles recently today, but in their few hours of absence dealing with the Shredder and his mutant allies, it seemed a lot had taken place. Only minutes after their arrival, Michelangelo blankly meandered out of the hideout. Upon casting his eyes upon Leatherhead, without any word, he walked to him and embraced his torso. Leatherhead respected his silence and pulled him into a tighter hug. And there they sat since, stewing in their anxiety.

Until, finally, somebody else joined them.

Slash's attention was drawn to the creaking, wooden door being pushed open slowly by a tired-looking Raphael. Once his caretaker, now his friend and equal. When he lowered his clenched hand from rubbing his eyes, they were bloodshot. Rightfully so, as he doubted he'd slept even once since all that had happened in the last twelve hours.

Eventually, he caught Raphael's eye, offering a reassuring grin. Raphael appeared surprised but pleased to see him.

"You look terrible, Raphael," he said both humorously and sympathetically.

Raphael whole-heartedly grinned, albeit still worn down and lethargic. "Where've you been?"

"Tying up some loose ends." His vagueness washed over Raphael's exhausted, troubled mind. He walked around the pond to greet him. "Is everything okay?"

Raphael exhaled deeply, wavering. He glanced over at where Leatherhead was holding Michelangelo consolingly. He frowned at the redness of Michelangelo's eyes, cheeks damp and flustered. His mind went back to his little brother stumbling out of the hideout during the desperate tussle to bring Leonardo's fever down. Raphael then turned back to Slash, his eyes cast down to the empty space between them. "Getting there," he finally said.

Slash nodded. What follows is a tense moment of voiceless communication as Slash giving him another sympathetic smile, masking his own concern. Raphael solemnly accepted it, but Slash knew it brought him no comfort.

Although they'd had their disagreements since his mutation, Slash sincerely respected Leonardo. When they inexplicably disappeared during the Kraang invasion, he had inspired him to act against the alien threat the way the Turtles had the first time. And many of his choices as leader of the Mutanimals had been a direct consequence of years of watching and listening to Leonardo deliberating, planning, and guiding his own team. Most importantly, the value he had for his teammates.

Raphael had his share of complaints about his team back when he was Spike, and he would instinctively agree with his master. But he saw Raphael in a different light now, and he finally saw that unconditional love and respect he would always have for his brothers.

He'd noticed a particular change in Raphael since their return to New York months after the Kraang had taken over. A greater maturity than he'd ever seen in him. Raphael didn't tell him much about their time away, except that they had to escape and recuperate out in Northampton before they could come back. He didn't ask why, sensing the weight of their situation just by Raphael's desolate, defeated tone.

Whatever it was, it had changed his friend and former master. And however bad it was, the Turtles had come out of it stronger than ever.

"Um…" Slash struggled, rubbing the back of his head. "It'll be okay."

Raphael chuckled. "Yeah, thanks."

"Sorry, I'm not so good at that stuff."

Raphael turned away. Not in time for Slash to miss the tears beginning to well up.

He frowned. "Is it bad?"

Raphael wiped his eyes roughly. "No, no it's all good now," he assured, but failed to compensate. "It was just…close, is all. I'm more relieved than anything."

Gently, he draped his oversized hand over Raphael's shoulders. "Didn't have a doubt in my mind he'd be all right," Slash admitted. "I've known you and your brothers long enough to know there's nothing you guys can't get through."

Raphael nodded and smiled up at Slash. "Yeah, and we couldn't have done it without you." He wiped the last of the tears away. "Thanks, Slash." He looked towards Leatherhead, who appeared occupied bringing comfort to Michelangelo to pay attention to them. Michelangelo was motionless, pupils darting blankly as his mind was a whir with whatever horrible scenarios were playing out over the fate of their big brother. "Has he been like that long?"

"The whole time," Slash replied sadly.

Raphael sighed. "I'll talk to him."

Slash nodded as he watched Raphael pace towards where Leatherhead cuddled Michelangelo. However, he was stopped at the sound of the door creaking open again. Out of the hut emerged Donatello, his eyes searching until they found whom he was searching for.

Michelangelo shot up and stared intently at him. "Donnie…"

Donatello smiled at Michelangelo assuredly. "Everything's fine." He returned his attention to Raphael. "His fever's finally broken. We just did a scan and there was no organ failure, thank goodness. And the vasopressin is finally working." He beamed at both his brothers. "We're on a good road."

"Can we talk to him?" Michelangelo asked excitedly.

Donatello shook his head. "He's not totally lucid yet. But I'll let you know when you can, Mikey."

Raphael let out a deep sigh, overcome with relief. "Good work, Don."

Instead of the hearty and proud "thank you" Raphael was expecting, he was surprised to see Donatello cast his tired eyes downwards. Raphael managed to make out the closed-mouthed smile accompanied by the tightening of his shut eyes as Donatello failed in fighting back the tears of exhaustion. His breathing became deep and uneven. Raphael hurried to his side just before he broke down entirely. He wrapped his arms around Donatello's shell, ignoring the awkwardness of his slumped shoulders and arched back. It wasn't until Michelangelo rushed to join in that Donatello finally returned the embrace.

Somehow, after days of worry, confusion, and chaos, this became the first time all three of them cried together.

* * *

Karai waited for the Foot soldier standing guard to leave the room before finally acknowledging their prisoner. "Hello, Shredder," she said, voice cold and stern.

The chains that restricted Shredder's wrists and ankles would bind a dragon. They were kept short enough to confine him in his place, but long enough so he could rest his arms over his knees as he sat hunched against the wall he was bolted to. His helmet was off, but the shadows cast over him concealed his scarred face. The light pouring into the room from the doorway did little to change that, only casting Karai's shadow over him.

"So," he decreed, "you have come to further shame me." Shredder's voice was but a murmur, but pungent and booming as it mildly echoed in the small, empty prison.

"It's no less than you deserve," Karai shot back sullenly. "You brought this on yourself."

"The only shame I have is from having raised an ungrateful, mutinous child as my daughter."

Karai would not go there; she'd promised herself. A big reason she had taken to meditation these past few months was to somehow move past all the lies that Shredder had filled her head with. She would never forgive him. But she would also not stoop to his level and play the blame game he'd so mastered. As far as she was concerned, she was as guilty as he was for believing him.

So she kept it plain and simple: "I'm not your daughter."

Shredder scowled under his breath. "Yoshi had no other intention in his miserable life than to turn you and your mother against me. You are rightfully mine, Karai. As your mother should have been mine."

"My mother was nobody's." Karai glared at the notion. "She _chose_ my father."

"You were too young to remember," Shredder dismissed impatiently.

"I don't need to remember," she snapped. "Neither you nor my father owned her. She was free to make her own decision. As I am. And I choose to believe Splinter." When no response followed, she sighed, knitting her brow as she reminisced. "It was always right in front of me. I should have listened to Leo a long time ago."

Shredder huffed. "That wretched turtle is no different from his Master. Just as intent on taking you away from me!"

Karai clenched her fist. His thick skull was impenetrable; none of her words had sunken in. "You're right," she said. "He's not very different from my father: He's more honorable than you'll ever be."

Heavy silence fell over them. Both of them looked away from each other as though embarrassed to be in the other's' presence. Neither of them could forget their history – sixteen years of bonding over a mutual desire for vengeance. For that moment, however, all that filled their hearts was hatred for one another and for all that had happened in the last hours of Shredder's empire.

Finally, it was Shredder who broke the silence: "He still lives then," he said matter-of-factly.

Karai glowered in his direction. "Yes."

He let out a quiet grumble in understanding. "Pity," he muttered. "After I came so close to breaking him."

Every nerve in Karai's body resisted the urge to react. Her knuckles whitened under her gloves. For years, she had seen how Shredder treats his prisoners; none of them, however, had interfered with his affairs as much as Leonardo.

"I suppose I had lost you the day you'd met him," he thought aloud. "I remember it clearly: You were more than capable of destroying him. And yet your affection stayed your hand."

He noticed she would not face him.

"You care for Leonardo, do you not?"

Karai fell silent. Somehow, even with his head tilted down and shadows blanketing the space around them, Shredder sensed her tensing up. He grinned at the thought. "I believe he cares for you as well. No man or mutant would endure what he did otherwise."

 _Shredder scowled and grabbed Leonardo's neck tightly, tugging him forward so they were only inches apart. "Where is my daughter?" he snarled, voice sodden with spite. It had been a long flight back to Japan, and he was drowning in his frustration after months of searching for his daughter then returning home empty-handed. With the other turtle in his custody for a time, Raphael had been impartial during his line of inquiry, dismissively claiming he had no idea of her whereabouts and was pleased she was out of their lives. But Leonardo was far more reticent and secretive. He just knew: This turtle was hiding something._

"When he refused to cooperate, I would remind him of his place."

 _With one violent motion, he shoved Leonardo back, letting him swing from the chain holding him up off the floor, high enough so he would be at Shredder's eye level. Angrily, Shredder threw his fist in the Turtle's direction, his steel knuckles catching him in the chest. Then, the talons on his wrists extended to full length. He swung at his collar, piercing his green skin, and then swung again._

"I would have let him _rot_ ," he spat. "But first I would make him suffer."

Karai was shaking, fighting to stay in control. Shredder smiled.

* * *

Michelangelo had lightened up quite a bit after the good news. He and Leatherhead were now playing sepak takraw, a Southeast Asian game the younger Hamato soldiers had taught him combining volleyball with hacky sack. Leatherhead agreed only to keep his friend occupied and happy. Both of them had quite mastered the game; they used the pond as their barrier instead of a net, and they hadn't once dropped the ball into the water. Raphael watched attentively from the sideline. He had no desire to join them, but he was left in charge of keeping score. It was his way of taking his mind off worries he should no longer have.

Still, Donatello wasn't quite as much at ease. He watched the door to intently, straightening every time it opened. When it wasn't Matsui-san, Satoshi, or his Sensei, his shoulders would drop and he'd continue to simmer in his anticipation. Neither of his brothers said a word to him, knowing it would be useless.

Clouds were accumulating again over the lands. The weather here was rather sporadic; from rain last night, to sun this morning, and now noon brought more potential showers.

"Dudes, should we go inside?" Michelangelo asked, arching his neck back to look up at the looming grey clouds.

Raphael shrugged. "N'ah, what's a little rain to a Turtle."

"I find it refreshing," Leatherhead concurred.

"It's kind of a nice change from New York rain," Donatello added. "You know, not worrying about all the soot and car exhaust that's coming down."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that comforting thought."

"Don't mention it."

When the door to the hideout opened, Donatello shot to his feet when both Matsui-san and Master Splinter emerged through. Michelangelo dropped the ball, and Raphael sat up straight as well. Their minds soared and hearts lightened in their chests when they noticed the smiles gracing both their faces.

"Matsui-sensei," Donatello said, bowing his head in respect. "Is…"

"There is no more need to be anxious, young ones," replied the village healer and doctor before Donatello could ask. "Your brother is out of harm's way. The antibiotics are working quite rapidly to clear the infection." He eyed the Turtles individually. "I must say, I am impressed with your physiology. The regenerative ability of your cells is quite remarkable."

"That's because of the mutagen," Donatello declared proudly. "Our cells have a higher number of divisions before cellular senescence. It's up for more testing, but I think I've narrowed it down to the presence of a more effective telomerase enzyme- _Ow_!" Donatello recoiled and glared at Michelangelo, rubbing the back of his head tenderly at where he was smacked.

Matsui-san exchanged a humored look with Splinter before continuing. "The healing mantra has helped to keep him on course, but it is now in the hands of Leonardo. All he needs now is time and rest." He looked directly at Donatello. "I have provided you and Satoshi with enough broad-spectrum antibiotics, fresh bandages, and analgesic. As time goes on, you will require less of them. I would not recommend administering the analgesic until he is fully awake and deemed cognitive, and only if he requires it. Unfortunately, he is still very weak. We would not want to risk him falling into a coma."

Donatello looked away sharply at that last remark. "No," he muttered under his breath. "We wouldn't." Behind him, Michelangelo and Raphael lowered their gazes sadly as well.

Matsui-san appeared both guilty and perplexed, but Splinter interrupted his thoughts when he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We are most grateful for your services, Haru."

"I am honored to have given them, _Najimi_."

The Turtles straightened. "Thank you, Matsui-sensei," Michelangelo proclaimed.

Matsui-san grinned towards the Turtles as they bowed, bowing his own head in return. "You are all most welcome." He placed his own hand on Splinter's opposite shoulder. "If you will excuse me, Yoshi, I must return to the village for a short time."

Splinter nodded respectfully.

He reached down to grab the medical bag, now much lighter, at his feet. "I hope to return before sundown," he affirmed. He descended down the short flight of steps to the pebbled grounds overcome with weeds. Giving one last respectful nod to the Turtles as he passed, he strolled down the path towards the dusty road leading to the village. Before he was out of earshot, he turned around once more to face the Turtles and Splinter, who watched him both graciously and gloomily. "I will see you all very soon," he assured them.

Splinter waved his hand goodbye, joined by his sons. In no time, Matsui-san had disappeared through the thicket of the woods that surrounded their hideout.

Michelangelo turned around to look up at Splinter, who stood atop the deck, hands folded behind his back as he watched his friend leave. "Sensei," Michelangelo said softly. "Did that healing mantra really work?"

Splinter smiled down at him. "It aided your brother's mind and body to begin healing."

He glanced away contemplatively before turning around. "Do you think…" – he hesitated – "you can teach it to me one day too?"

Raphael and Donatello exchanged a baffled look.

Splinter, also quite surprised at the request, grinned proudly at Michelangelo. "Perhaps someday, Michelangelo," he replied, his voice gentle. "The healing mantra is complicated and difficult to master. It is about channeling one's own energy to another, or to one's self, in order to help them mend. Before you can channel your own energy, you must learn to contain it."

Michelangelo nodded understandingly. "Well, when I can do that, then will you teach me?"

Splinter chortled. "I would be glad to."

"Quick question," Donatello interjected. "If you get it wrong somehow, it doesn't suck the energy out of someone, does it?"

"Real science-y, Don," Raphael huffed behind them.

"I'm just saying," Donatello defended. "I wouldn't want Mikey to use it on me if that's possible."

"Hey! Feelings, dude."

"Katas, _now_ ," Splinter interrupted, pointing them towards the other side of the pond. Michelangelo stuck his tongue out at Donatello as they proceeded to the empty field that would be their training ground for now.

"Not you, Raphael," Splinter beckoned just as his student was about to leave with his brothers. "A moment, if you will." Raphael complied and approached his Master. They stood face-to-face by the pond, in silence other than the crickets chirping, frogs croaking, and the light murmur of bustling ninjas in the hut next to them. But Splinter only had Raphael in his sights. "Now that your brother is on the path to recovery, you and I have something to discuss."

Immediately, Raphael understood. He lowered his head in remorse, awaiting his fate.

"I assume you have had time to consider what Michelangelo said to you earlier."

"I have, Sensei," Raphael murmured dismally.

"Then you understand the danger of your actions."

"Yes."

"And you understand the consequences of those errors."

Raphael's eyes began to water. He glared in no particular direction. "Yes."

"And you understand what would have happened had Karai not noticed you leaving the monastery."

Raphael exhaled an unsteady breath, his body quivering in his place. Splinter arched his brow as Raphael tried to regain his composure. Finally, he lowered his head again and centered himself. "Hai, Sensei," he avowed, confident but penitent.

Splinter nodded. "Good. You are dismissed."

Raphael's head shot up, curiously eyeing his Sensei. "What?"

"So long as you are knowledgeable of your mistake, I am satisfied."

"But, Sensei…" Raphael didn't really know what he wanted to say or hear. So when Splinter looked back at him expectantly, he averted his gaze again. "I-…I don't know what came over me."

"Your love and concern for your brother is what clouded your judgement," Splinter affirmed. "While your decision to rescue him alone was imprudent, you understood the urgency and had only his welfare in mind."

A moment passed, and Splinters expression went stern again. " _However_ ," he added, "I am disappointed you did not come to me to express your concerns before you arrived at such a rash decision. I have told you time and again that you can always come to me, my son, should you ever need it, regardless of the time of night."

To this, Raphael responded, "I did, Sensei."

Splinter appeared perplexed.

"Just before I left. At first, I thought you were just meditating. But…" Raphael sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I heard you talking."

His eyes widened.

"I know you and Leo were working on that whole psychic connection thing, and I just knew it was him."

Raphael withdrew when he saw his Sensei's eyes glossing over, tears brimming them. He had to turn away to hide them, although knowingly failing.

"I was…" he whispered, "emotionally compromised during my contact with Leonardo." He fought hard to steady his breathing so Raphael would not notice his current compromised state. "My efforts were to bring him security in his lonely time. But all I felt was his pain. I…" His voice accidentally cracked. He compensated for the brief sign of weakness by clearing his throat. "While my efforts to comfort him through his suffering failed, I had succeeded in bringing him hope that help would arrive soon." At this, his facial muscles tightened his lips into a smile, and he turned around again to see Raphael watching him sympathetically. "And arrive it did."

"Sensei…" Raphael began. Guilt burned his heart at having described observing his teacher in such a vulnerable state.

Splinter waved his hand. "Forgive me," he asked, approaching Raphael again. "Perhaps there is much we can learn from each other. I too am imperfect. I believe in patience. I am often optimistic to a fault. And I have thus paid the consequences on several occasions in my failure to act when it is necessary."

Raphael sighed. "That's probably a good thing, Master Splinter. I'm the total opposite."

"Precisely. And it is because of your impulsive decision that Leonardo is with us now." Raphael reeled at the profound statement. He was about to speak, but Splinter went on, "just as it was thanks to Karai's alertness, and our Clans' combined forces." He held Raphael's shoulder firmly. "We cannot change the course of past events. All we can do is learn from them. _All_ of us," he emphasized.

Splinter curled his index finger under Raphael's chin, forcing his head up so he would look him in the eye. "Raphael," he urged, "long have we worked together to quell your anger. To control your emotions so they do not control you."

Raphael's heart sunk.

"But I know understand," Splinter continued, "that it is those same emotions that make you the ambitious, driven warrior you are." Raphael glanced up now, noticing his Master eyeing him encouragingly. "Although you still have a ways to go to mastering them, I would not have you any other way, my son."

He grinned humbly. "Thank you, Sensei."

Splinter and Raphael scarcely ended a conversation with such a sense of closure and security resting their minds. Despite Splinter's greatest efforts to calm and advise him, Raphael would normally leave still steaming, taking out on the punching bag to blow it off. Splinter could easily detect it despite Raphael's equal efforts to conceal it, and disappointment would weigh on his mind afterwards. But now that they both understood the futility of trying to suppress Raphael's greatest strength, they could work together on taming it instead.

"You know, Master Splinter," Raphael said, his voice becoming sour, "all this talk of fate-shifting and pointing fingers..." He glowered. "There's one guy we're leaving out."

Splinter nodded, eyes narrowing as well. "You are right. Perhaps it is time to show him the error of his own ways."

* * *

"You seem troubled, Karai," Shredder mocked, following his former kunoichi as she paced the room. "Have I upset you?"

Karai huffed at the notion. "That would be an understatement. After all you've done, it's taking every fiber in my body not to throw you to the villagers. Who, by the way, are rejoicing at your defeat."

"Let them." Shredder turned away. "Useless peasants. It was foolish to build my empire in such a measly, pathetic corner of Japan. Had I perfected the mind-control formula, I would have had them all revere me willingly."

"If in some deranged way, 'willingly' means 'entirely against their will', then yes, that's accurate." She folded her arms. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Shredder met her gaze. "It is effective."

Karai's spine tingled at his bluntness. His eyes were so hollow; for a moment, she did not recognize him. All she'd done to her – the brainwashing, the mind-control, all the lies and dishonor he'd brought on her… Surely, he must have felt some remorse. Surely, there was something of the loving father she remembered left in him.

"Raphael was surprisingly easy," he continued maliciously. "His emotions drive his decisions; all I had to do was reroute that anger against his family. If he could have only given his loyalty…"

"It would never have happened," Karai avowed confidently.

Head concealed in the shadows, Shredder smiled to himself, an equal air of confidence overcoming him.

"Okay, then tell me this," she interjected. "Why did you brainwash Raphael, but not Leonardo?"

Shredder stared blankly at his adopted daughter. The question had no significance to him. The events between Leonardo's capture and the fall of his empire were meaningless. A mere timeframe of weakness and lunacy with severe consequences. "You assume I did not try, child," he declared emptily. But his tone became more venomous when he added, "He is intractable."

Karai glared, but waited for him to continue.

"Days had past, and my experiments with Leonardo seemed to finally yield his loyalty. But I was deceived. He merely pretended to be under my control so he could then lower my suspicions. But instead of attempting an escape, he instead made the foolish mistake of trying to catch me off my guard."

 _In the privacy of his dimly-lit dojo, Shredder kneeled in deep meditation. With Shredder's back turned, Leonardo silently approached him and raised his Katana to strike him from behind. However, to his alarm, Shredder spun around in time to block the strike with his talon. Tangling the Katana between the blades, Shredder thrust Leonardo's weapon to the side, out of his grasp and reach. Though Leonardo reached for his other Katana, he was not quick enough as Shredder managed to knock him out with a single blow. Leonardo collided with the ground, dazed as Foot Bots and mutants surrounded him._

"The effect of Stockman's chemicals and my… _indoctrination_ had rendered his reflexes weak." There was a mild sense of pride in his voice now, albeit bitterness still dripped from his tongue. He stared up at Karai. "Although they did not work to attain his servitude, I hope there is much psychological damage left to scar him."

Karai scowled. "Is that how you thought you could defeat them?" she demanded. "Poisoning their minds against my father?" Her eyes hardened when Shredder looked away. "Is that how you thought you'd finally gain your honor back?"

Shredder didn't answer. Karai scoffed. "The Turtles are much stronger than you ever gave them credit for," she decreed. "Splinter taught them to be loyal not just to him, but to each other. All you ever wanted was for people to worship you."

"Pray you bite your tongue, child," Shredder snapped, his voice deep and threatening. "I taught you everything you know."

"Yes. You taught me to hate. You taught me to strike when my enemy was already down. You taught me to show no mercy for the weak."

"I taught you the skills to be a great leader like myself."

"A great leader doesn't sacrifice his team for power," Karai affirmed. She hoped the Foot soldier standing guard outside heard her. With decades of suppression, abuse, and belittlement from Foot leaders of Oroku ancestry, it was time somebody acknowledged their unnecessary purgatory.

"A leader makes the necessary sacrifices to bring their Clan to greatness."

"And that would include ruthlessly hunting down, brainwashing, and nearly destroying someone you claim to love?"

Now it was Shredder to get riled up. His body visibly shook, and a low growl escaped through clenched teeth. Then, to her surprise, his shoulders dropped and his expression softened. His black eyes suddenly filled with sadness. The only time she'd seen him like that was when they were talking about her mother. Karai lowered her head at the thought. She felt a tingle in her nose and tears escaping the corners of her eyes.

"I don't believe Splinter about you not really loving me…or my mother." She couldn't bring herself to look at him as she said this. Not in chains. Not in a prison cell. "But I do believe that learning about who you really were drove you into this madness. I know because I fell into that same lust for vengeance against you when I learned about my own past." She breathed in through her nose, quelling her anger. "It took me a long time to come to terms with it. I won't ever forgive you, but I'm willing to work towards a peace."

Karai waited for what seemed like ages. In time, she realized: He had no intention of answering. She exhaled sharply. It seemed hopeless trying to appeal to him.

"Karai," came a different voice. This one was calmer, gentler, and more pleasant. She turned around to face a presence that could only be described as frightening and jarring by one unfamiliar; but to her, it was just as heartening a sight as his voice was a sound.

Splinter stood in the doorway, his shadow stretched across the room. He watched her with kind eyes, which she returned. He nodded his head, wordlessly requesting she leave.

She considered giving Shredder one last look. But she had no desire to. So, without even glancing back, she walked out of the room. As she was in the doorway, she heard behind her a faint whisper:

"I have always loved you, Karai."

Unable to bear the emotional burden, she quickly left, leaving Splinter and Shredder alone.

* * *

 **~ Three Months Ago ~**

"Karai, listen to me!" Leonardo urged her. "You have to snap out of it; this isn't who you are!"

Karai hissed. "Enough lies, Leo."

She thrust her sword at his head, which he blocked with his Katana. He didn't want to use his weapons against her anymore. He didn't want to have to hurt her. Not when he knew she was there. Slash had gone on about how he could see everything he was doing when he attacked Splinter. That meant Karai did as well. And that meant he could talk to her. Her – not what this brain worm chemical had turned her into. Not what Shredder wanted her to be.

"Please, Karai, try to fight it. Shredder doesn't have power over you anymore."

But mind-controlled Karai didn't agree, and Shredder knew this smugly as he watched from the other side of the Auman factory walkway. That's why he particularly enjoyed it when, in response to Leonardo's worthless remark, Karai's serpent arm shot out and swooped at Leonardo's legs from the side, knocking his feet from under him. Leonardo cushioned his fall with his elbow. Without a chance to even take a breath, he swiftly raised his Katana and barely managed to catch the mouths of her serpent arms across the blade before their fangs could meet their mark.

"Leo!" Donatello shouted, racing towards Karai as she loomed over his brother.

Before he could deliver a strike with his Bo staff, Karai spun around, sharp tongue extended as she hissed crossly. "Don, watch out!" cried Raphael. Donatello blinked and felt the fangs dig into his skin below his collar bone. The effect was rapid, his muscles weakening almost immediately.

"Donnie!" Michelangelo cried, rushing to him as the fangs left Donatello's arm and he staggered in a haze.

Leonardo got back to his feet and was about to run to Donatello as Michelangelo lowered him to the ground safely. However, before he got far, Karai wrapped her serpent arms around his neck from behind him. He choked as he was thrust back, landing hard on his shell. Karai loomed over him, smirking. "It's over, Leo," she affirmed.

He growled impatiently and threw an egg smoke bomb in her direction, which exploded into a thick cloud of purple smoke as it hit her raised arm. She hissed when, as the smoke cleared, he was gone. Before she knew it, Leonardo had snuck up and trapped her arms behind her. His eyes were serious, but his voice was calming. "Come on, Karai, you have to fight it," he pleaded. "I know you can hear me. You can't let Shredder control you like this. Fight it!"

She grunted as she writhed in his grip. But Leonardo, eyeing her from behind, could feel the motions were almost half-hearted.

"Please. It's Splinter who cares about you. Your real father, remember? Not Shredder. You _know_ this."

Slowly, gradually, her struggling stopped, and she seemed to be sinking down.

Leonardo carefully let her go and came around to her side. He held one arm only for support now. He looked into her green, reptilian eyes as they stared into a void. "I know you're confused. But you know the truth. Shredder's mind control isn't going to change that."

Now, Karai's body was twitching oddly. He stepped back when she raised her hands to her mouth. She gargled for a second. Finally, she collapsed down to her hands and knees and spat out the brain worm, coughing up other fluids along with it.

The worm wiggled around until Leonardo speared it with his Katana. He knelt down at her level as she took in unsteady breaths, shaking as she did. "It's okay," he said, comfortingly rubbing her back.

" _No_!" Shredder bellowed in a severe state of rage. Leonardo's face hardened immediately. He wouldn't stand for any more of this. He spun around, Katanas in hand, and charged at him. Blocking his path to her, he swung his sword at Shredder's head. Shredder, dodging it with ease, grew even more irritated and thrust his talon at him in return.

In doing so, he accidentally cut the chain holding up the platform they all stood on. It suddenly dropped to a steep angle, causing them to nearly lose their balance.

But Karai, still dazed, had no chance to keep her footing before she stumbled and fell off the platform, plunging towards the vat of boiling water below.

Leonardo was first to regain his composure, and was also first to notice. "Karai!" Without hesitation, he leapt off the unstable platform after her.

Shredder did nothing but watch his adopted daughter in dread.

Meanwhile, Raphael finally knocked Rocksteady away before he noticed his brother plummeting down towards the vat, reaching for Karai. "Leo!" he called. He watched as Leonardo finally caught up to her and grab her hand. Still clearly stunned out of her mind-control stupor, she blankly wrapped her arms around his neck. Leonardo reached for his grappling hook and shot it up towards the rail above him.

Fishface, however, knocked it away before it could meet its mark. "Nice try, Turtle scum,"

" _Xever_!" Shredder screeched in alarm. "You fool!"

Raphael was quick to take action. He heaved his body forward horizontally just as the grappling hook was at his level. Stretching his arm forward, the center of the hook reached the palm of his hand, and he wrapped his fingers around the four individual hooks. With a firm grasp of the hook, he quickly realized there was nowhere for him to grab onto to stop their fall.

"Guys!" Michelangelo cried in a blind panic.

Thinking quickly, Raphael grabbed his own grappling hook and shot it at the rail of another suspended walkway. None of Shredder's mutants interfered this time as the three of them swung away from the vat of hot water and to the solid ground next to it. Leonardo let go of his own grappling hook and landed expertly on the ground, carrying Karai safely with him. Raphael did the same, landing next to them as Leonardo lay Karai down. She was still breathing heavily. One arm didn't unwrap itself from Leonardo's neck, her opposite hand tightly pressed to her chest as she roughly took in the air she'd lost. Leonardo frowned; she was overwhelmed.

Shredder roared from above them before he made his way down quickly. Raphael and Leonardo glared up at him as he neared them. He got close, but not close enough. Michelangelo, with his arm looped around Donatello's shell to keep him upright as Donatello stumbled in tow, intercepted Shredder and threw down an egg smoke bomb.

When the smoke cleared, Shredder was left facing an empty space where his daughter once stood amongst the prodigies of his greatest enemy. His heart sunk, his stomach lurched, his clenched fists shook, and he let out the loudest roar that could be heard outside the factory, while the Turtles and Karai disappeared into the night.

* * *

Karai approached the hut in silence. The trek down the mountain and to the hideout had been long, but when one of the Hamato soldiers standing guard saw her leaving Shredder's lair and offered her a ride back, she kindly refused. "I need the fresh air," she'd said. Really, she just needed to be alone. Even as she saw Michelangelo, Slash, and Leatherhead huddled outside the hideout, she offered nothing but a simple nod of the head and a half-smile.

"Hey, sis, where've you been?" Michelangelo inquired.

Karai's eyes shifted as though being woken up, silently eyeing Michelangelo for no longer than a second before shifting her gaze away again.

Michelangelo sensed her despondency and tried to lighten the mood. "Great news!" he proclaimed. "Donnie says Leo's gonna be okay."

Karai felt her chest suddenly lighten significantly upon hearing that. She visibly brightened up and gave a genuine smile in Michelangelo's direction. "That's good," she said sincerely. She then walked passed all of them without so much as a second glance. She later hoped they didn't take any offense. There was too much weighing on her mind for any more formalities.

She walked into the hut and respectfully bowed to the Foot soldiers who shot to their feet at her presence. She was used to it over years of being Shredder's second-in-command, but didn't enjoy it anymore. Not with all the wrongs she'd done these soldiers. Not after she'd helped Shredder replace them with robots.

Donatello was on the other side of the room when he noticed her. "Oh, hi, Karai," he said awkwardly.

"Hi," she returned, scanning the makeshift infirmary. The medical-ninjas seemed to be mostly cleaning up now. There were only three injured soldiers still under observation, including Casey Jones, who gave her a small wave. She also saw Satoshi lying across one of the tables, having himself a well-deserved nap.

Finally, after a moment's silence, she asked, "Where's Leo?"

Donatello put down the gadget in his hands and moved in her direction. "He's in here." He walked over to the door behind her, pushing it open. Karai's muscles were uncooperative at first. She could feel her heartrate accelerating and a shiver run up her spine. The words Shredder had polluted her mind with still resonated. He'd painted images with his descriptions she did not want to bear witness to.

At her hesitation, Donatello stopped, watching her stand in her place and stare at the slightly-agar door. "Oh. Uh, I assumed…"

Karai snapped back to reality. She needed to see him. She entered first, nodding thankfully to Donatello as she passed him.

And then she saw him. Lying across the cot, sleeping. Bandaged and stitched up. Pale green with bruises on his arms, legs, and face. Hooked up to an old EKG machine and IV bag. But despite all that, he looked rather peaceful. Still, Karai's breathing hitched in her trachea as she looked over him. The bandages around his wrists were slightly stained dark red, as was the one above his collar bone, and the one across his chest. The memory of seeing the last one played most vividly in her mind, but the pictures Shredder had painted of how Leonardo had obtained the rest nauseated her as well.

Donatello, who glanced between her and his brother, stayed silent. He looked concerned.

Eventually, without tearing her eyes away from him, she acknowledged Donatello. "Will he be all right?"

Donatello nodded. "You're lucky you weren't here earlier. We had a scare with a bacterial infection in his blood. He progressed into sepsis and would have gone into shock if Matsui-sensei hadn't come when he did." He interrupted himself to explain, "Oh, yeah, sorry, Matsui-sensei is a doctor in the village-"

Karai waved her hand. "That's okay. I know who he is."

"Right," Donatello remembered. "Sorry."

Karai moved closer to the cot and ran her fingers lightly over Leonardo's left arm, where the bandages were bulkier than the others. "And now?"

"Now we just wait. He's stable, and we got him on some antibiotics and NSAIDs." He pointed towards where Karai had her hand over Leonardo's arm. "The radial bone near his wrist is broken, but that should heal in a few weeks. So should all of these." He gestured to the lacerations and bruises covering Leonardo's body. He saw her attention turn to the exposed claw mark across the side of Leonardo's face, running down his prefrontal bone, zygomaticus, and just barely missing his eye. "Yeah, I know, that one scared Mikey a bit. But it's not as bad as it looks. It won't leave a scar."

Karai registered Donatello's words, but her thoughts were still clouded by the images Shredder had put into her head, and the images left to her imagination. Her fingers were curled in and tightened into fists. Finally, she had to shut her eyes and look away. She could feel her breathing become heavy as she fought back the storm building up inside her.

She was surprised to suddenly feel Donatello's hand upon her shoulder. She turned to look at him, not caring that he could see her eyes brimmed with salty tears. She breathed in a shaky breath and whimpered, "I'm sorry."

Donatello's eyes widened at first before filling with empathy. "You shouldn't be," he assured her. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," she sniveled. "All of this is. If I had only believed Leo sooner, or if I'd broken out of the mind control, or not gone for revenge, or-"

Donatello broke in before Karai make the list any longer. "Hey, hey, hang on. Now I'm no expert on the whole _fate_ thing, but there's this concept in thermodynamics called entropy."

Karai overcame her emotions for no other reason than pure bewilderment at the unusual interruption.

But Donatello went on, "Hear me out. It refers to the amount of disorder there is in the universe. Technically, it's the unavailability of a system's energy to do work. So all closed systems tend to maximize entropy until you have some input of energy. However, when you use energy to prevent disorder in one place, you're simultaneously increasing it somewhere else. That's why the entropy of the universe is increasing constantly."

Donatello hunched his shoulders a little when he saw that Karai was giving him a bemused, expectant look. "Um…my point is, about the disorder, is that it's not just one form of energy expenditure that causes consistent disorder around us. It's a multi-factorial system that depends on each component within it. All of us are expending energy- er, making choices and actions that disrupt our system." Donatello relaxed when he saw Karai's eyes finally alight with understanding. "And you have to give yourself a lot of credit. You managed to discern the limits of our system – in this case the Hamato and Foot soldiers, so we can work on going expending energy in the right places and move back to equilibrium. Or 'perfect internal disorder' as they say."

Donatello frowned as he reflected on his own words. "Wow, that probably made, like, no sense."

Karai laughed. "I think I got the gist of it." She smiled gratefully to him as he sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Donatello smiled. "My pleasure. And by the way, just so you know, Leo will say the same."

"Oh yeah? Even that entropy stuff?" she joked.

"No, he'll probably word it a bit differently, like spiritual balance or something. Mikey will make it about pizza, and Raph…I don't know, he'll probably take the Neanderthal route and make it about lifting heavy objects." He grinned widely when she did. "Just a heads-up."

She smiled before turning her attention back to Leonardo, still sound asleep next to them. She slipped her hand in his, interlacing his fingers in hers, and stared down at his face.

Donatello discreetly stepped back. "Anyway, I've, uh…I gotta just check on…something. I'll be back in a few minutes. …Maybe."

With that, and without waiting for her acknowledgement, he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him with the intent that he would give her as long as she needed. He knew the feeling of self-blame. He knew what it was like to feel responsible for events out of his control, whole-heartedly knowing it was his own actions that lead to them. So he knew Karai would need some time with his brother to come to her own inner peace.

"Yo, D." Michelangelo came hurrying over. He peered over Donatello's shoulder towards the door. "Is he awake yet?"

Donatello shook his head. "Just give it some time, Mikey."

* * *

Splinter paced the cell in silence. Since his daughter had left, not only had he not said a word to Shredder, but he hadn't so much as looked at him. Once in a while, it appeared as though Splinter was going to say something. But as soon as Shredder braced himself, Splinter returned to pacing with his eyes cast down in deep contemplation. The entire time, Shredder watched him.

The quiet was unbearable. Decades of rivalry and resentment could be neither forgotten nor forgiven. They both knew this. Nothing would get resolved here. It never did. So what was the point?

"Well?" Shredder suddenly shot. "What else is there left to say?"

There was no answer. But, to Shredder's surprise, Splinter suddenly held up a key. He still didn't meet his eyes as he spoke, "I told you, when we were students of my father, that we were equals." He stepped forward to the gate of Shredder's prison cell. He inserted the key into the keyhole. "I will not speak to you as a prisoner." Splinter opened the door so the prison bars would no longer separate them. "I have no reason to trust you," he said as he stepped inside, "but if it means speaking to you as my brother, so be it."

Shredder watched him cynically as Splinter unlocked each of the shackles on his wrists and ankles. Splinter returned the suspicious look when he returned to his feet and stepped back. Shredder didn't budge at first, his eyes narrowed as he calculated his next move. Finally, he decided to play along: He slowly shifted himself up onto his feet to meet Splinter's level. It was now his turn to refuse to meet Splinter's gaze.

Splinter surprised him again when he suddenly called over his shoulder, "Raphael."

In seconds, Raphael emerged. Shredder narrowed his eyes at the sight of him. But Raphael was hard. He stood tall in the doorway, legs spread so his stance was steady. Like his Master, his hands were folded behind his back. He didn't appear the least bit intimidated by his enemy. Didn't show so much as a hint of his anger or bitterness in his stern expression.

But Shredder could sense it. Unlike Splinter, Raphael was not an expert at containing his emotions. Nevertheless, he was enjoying the Turtle's effort. Enough to barely register Splinter explain that Raphael was there to monitor them both should their conversation escalate.

"Saki," Splinter interjected Shredder's and Raphael's wordless staredown. "You and I need to settle this, once and for all."

Shredder glared at him. "Why?" he demanded. "You have beaten me. Is that not enough?"

Splinter frowned. "Please, brother, this is not about winning or losing. Do you have no desire to restore peace between us?"

"To restore it would imply it once existed."

"Come, Saki," Splinter urged. "Surely our memories are not all tainted by your bitter resentment. Do you not remember our bond in our youth?"

Now Shredder was getting riled up. He glowered at Splinter. "I remember wandering aimlessly in the shadow of your greatness," he shot back. "I remember a childhood of you telling me what to do. I remember growing into a man with you persistently holding me back. I remember you hogging all the glory as I sat back and listened to father explain it was always destined to be that way."

He ignored his mistake of calling the man that had lied to him 'father' and instead turned to Raphael sharply. "Do not forget, _Turtle_ , that I offered you a greatness your pitiful Sensei and brothers will always hide from you."

Raphael ignored him. His chest heaved out and in as he took in a deep breath, teeth clenched while he did.

"Do not compare yourself with my son, Saki," Splinter insisted crossly. "I am sorry that father lied to you about your past. I learned about it as you did." Shredder was growling. Splinter glared in return. "But your real father was an evil man. He would have destroyed himself before he could lead the Foot Clan to victory."

Saki roared and suddenly lunged at Yoshi. Yoshi caught Saki's fist and spun, elbowing Saki in the gut. Saki quickly recovered and struck Yoshi in the neck before receiving another blow to the chest, this one sending him flying back.

Raphael, watching the brothers as their argument suddenly turned physical, knew he probably should have intervened as it was what (Splinter claimed) he was there to do. But he didn't. It wasn't his place. This was between brothers. Just as Splinter gave him and his brothers space to reconcile on their own during one of many of their heated fights, he would give him the same courtesy.

"You claim to have suffered," Yoshi shouted, watching Saki stand back up. "Yet you fail to realize that you would have led a disgraced life had the Foot prevailed under your father's rule." His voice softened. "My father showed the love and mercy of a true man by sparing your life and raising you as his own."

But Saki was hysterical. He howled back, "Your father destroyed my father and my Clan! He fed me lies all my life about my past. The memory of my Clan faded into oblivion, and _I_ was his trophy."

Yoshi glowered. "So you took my daughter away to have her succumb to the same pain that you did?"

"No," Saki retorted. "I saved her."

"You did not think she would find out the truth?"

"If not for your wretched son, she wouldn't have!"

Yoshi snapped. He lunged at Saki, pinning him against the wall with his arm pressed against his neck, their faces inches apart as he glared at him. "Do not speak of my son in such a way," he hissed threateningly through clenched teeth.

"He is as meddlesome as you, Yoshi," Saki taunted, malice dripping from every word. "I should have finished him when I had the chance."

Yoshi's pupils constricted to pinpoints. Saki dodged Yoshi's fist so it instead collided with the wall behind him. Saki dropped to his feet and spun kick Yoshi's feet from under him. Yoshi hit the ground, grunting at the shockwaves that spread through his body at the impact. He scowled at Saki as he heaved his fist towards his face. But Yoshi threw him off balance by thrusting his tail into the back of Saki's knees. Saki's head struck the ground, dazing him long enough for Yoshi to trap Saki under him.

"You have a habit of destroying those that disobey you, Saki," he growled. Saki thrust him back, but Yoshi kept his balance. "Had Tang Shen crossed you enough for you to rid of her?"

Saki jumped to his feet and yelled at the top of his lungs, running at Yoshi in raw wrath. Yoshi countered by crouching down and swung his leg in a round kick to Saki's gut, again sending him back several feet until he struck the wall on the opposite end of the cell.

"If you could not have her, then nobody would. Is that it, brother?" he spat. "Is that why you did it?"

"I didn't mean to!"

Saki's bellow echoed and faded into an intense silence. Both of them stayed at opposite ends of the cell, panting heavily to regain the oxygen they had exhausted. Saki shut his eyes and fell to his knees, his chin resting on his chest. In the hours he sat trapped in this prison since the rebels had overpowered him, Saki had never looked as defeated as he did at that moment.

Ages passed it seemed. And then, with all the love, compassion, and sorrow in his blackened heart, Saki uttered, "I would never have let any harm come to her."

Yoshi also lowered his head at that, eyes shut, heart aching. Eventually, he returned, "She was never yours to protect."

As Shredder stewed in his grief and deep regret, Splinter finally turned to leave the room. A Hamato and Foot soldier hurried silently passed him and worked quickly to bind Shredder again, while he was still emotionally debilitated. Splinter came up to Raphael, who eyed him in concern. Splinter replied with a smile and gently laid his hand upon the back of Raphael's shell. Raphael nodded understandingly.

Both of them left.

Neither of them looked back.

* * *

After removing the cloak from her shoulders and laying it across the back of a nearby chair, Karai paced slowly around the cot Leonardo lay upon. She had not seen him for hours and was surprised to hear of all that had gone on since she left to deal with their prisoners.

Donatello had been so descriptive and formal about the injuries his brother had sustained and been treated for, although she had no doubt it was merely to suppress the pain of seeing a loved one injured. She couldn't stand the thought herself. Each wound was from both physical and mental cruelty and torment inflicted over days of solitary confinement. The raw flesh on his wrists from the shackles that held his weight up off the ground. The lacerations and stab wounds from the piercing blades of Shredder's armor. The claw marks from his malevolent mutant subjects. The infection and lapse into sepsis from the foul conditions of his cold, dark prison.

Karai finally took in a shaky breath, realizing she had been holding it for some time now. She wiped her eyes; only then did she notice how heavy her eyelids were. Shredder's words continued to seep into her mind despite her conscious efforts to block them out. Her collar bone was still aching from her own injury, and her relief seeing all the Turtles, her father, and her Clans united and well was as overwhelming emotionally as the venture to unite them was physically. All she wanted to do now was sleep. Leonardo looked so peaceful.

She pulled the chair over by the cot and sat down. She pulled her knees up to her chest to get comfortable. When that didn't work, she shifted them under her so she was sitting on the sides of her feet, her knees hanging off the side of the chair. It was a little better, at least until her feet went numb.

Her eyes crept up towards Leonardo. There was enough space on the side of the cot to at least rest her head. Gradually, she found her body tilting forward. She crossed her arms over a spot by him and nestled her head on top. It wasn't an ideal position, and she was sure to feel it in her spine later, but just being close to him… She couldn't see herself going to sleep otherwise.

Minutes passed, and she felt her eyelids becoming heavier. She felt Leonardo shift slightly, but thought nothing of it. His breathing was the same – quiet and steady. She tilted her head so she was facing her right, towards Leonardo's head, just in case. But nothing changed. So she closed her eyes again, the pressure on her arms increasing as she allowed gravity to take the strain off her neck, her breathing slowing to a deeper, more sound pace.

She wasn't sure how much time passed after that. She was half-asleep when she heard her name.

"Karai…"

She focused her thoughts on it. First acknowledging it was indeed her name. Next noticing her attention was being beckoned. Finally realizing who it was.

Her head shot up off the cot, eyes blinking away the grains of sleep clouding her view of Leonardo looking directly at her through slit, blue eyes, the white around the irises faintly tinted red.

" _Leo_ ," Karai's voice cracked. She quickly shifted over so she was within closer range.

"Hi."

"Hi," she chuckled at the familiarity since their last encounter. "How do you feel?"

Leonardo exhaled slowly, face contorting slightly as he did. "Sore…" he confirmed.

She stroked the side of his face sweetly. "Did you need anything?"

A short pause before he rasped, "Water."

Of course. Quickly, she reached for the cup of water already by his bedside. She then hesitated: Should she hand it to him? Is he capable of doing it himself? Before she could come to a decision, she saw Leonardo reaching for it. So she handed it to him. "Wait." She reached around Leonardo, supporting his back as he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Sorry," she said when he winced. He eyed her forgivingly before taking a long drink.

He coughed a bit as he finished. She took the cup and put it to the side. "Breathe first," she laughed as she laid him back down onto the pillow.

Leonardo's cheeks had gone red as he settled, realizing the vulnerable state he was in in Karai's presence. Embarrassed, his shoulders went rigid. "Um, where's Donnie?"

"Just outside," she assured him. "Should I get him?" Her body prepared itself to stand at his request.

He shook his head, however, closing his eyes again. "No, it's okay." He joked, "He's hung around me long enough."

She smiled at his nonchalance suddenly returning. "He was worried." She went quiet after that. They were _all_ worried.

"Karai?"

"M-hm?"

Her heart broke at the genuine remorse in his voice when he whispered, "I'm sorry."

Karai's face washed over with immediate confusion. "For what?" she almost snapped. Of all the people in her life, even including no-name strangers, Leonardo was the last she dreamed of hearing that from.

"For driving you away," he exhaled.

It took her a second to comprehend, in the few years they've known each other, which time he was referring to. When she did, her breath hitched. She didn't blame him for the absurd notion, and that's what made her heart fill with guilt. She squeezed his hand. "No, Leo," she whispered, smiling despite the tears falling from her eyes. "You brought me back."

She leaned in closer. "Back to my father, my home…" Her voice was growing softer. "You believed in me when I least deserved it. Without you, I would have never regained my or my family's honor." She stroked his forehead gently. "That's the only reason I left you. I needed to center myself first before I could come back."

"The Foot Clan…?" he asked. "And the Hamato… How did that happen?"

Karai wanted to tell him everything. But she saw him fighting a losing battle to keep his eyes open. So she smiled compassionately instead, running the back of her fingers across his forehead. "I'll tell you later," she promised.

He rolled his eyes back in dissatisfaction, but between fatigued breaths, he nodded with a humorous grin. "I'm holding you to it, you know."

"I know," she chuckled.

After that, Leonardo allowed his body to relax, and he fell into yet another peaceful slumber. Karai sighed and dropped her shoulders. The back of her fingers ran from his forehead to his cheek, the side unscathed by Tiger Claw. As much as she tried to take comfort in knowing it would not scar, and most likely he would make an overall full recovery both physically and mentally (she hoped), the images in her head continued to haunt her. How anybody could endure that for as long as he did…

But deep down, she knew: Leonardo was stronger than she gave him credit for. He had put up with her stubbornness for a long time, in no way swayed by her constant denial and retaliation against him. His faith, patience, and determination with her combined with his own self-discipline and resilience… Her eyes brimmed with tears. No, she did not worry about him. He would be all right.

Still, she would stay by his side as he slept for now. It felt right to finally be the one to shelter him, to be there when _he_ needed her.

She considered sitting up again and returning to her previous position, with her arms folded across the cot and resting her head between her arms. But realizing her body was more comfy stretched across the cot, she had a different idea. There was enough space by Leonardo to at least lay her upper body across the cot. Not to mention that pillow was probably large enough to fit another head.

In no time, she found herself positioning her figure so, while her pelvis and legs were still on the chair, she was laying the side of her upper body on the edge of the cot, and her head was near Leonardo's neck. It wasn't uncomfortably close – she admittedly didn't care much for close contact, but it was nice. It felt good. The sound of his breathing, which slowed as he fell deeper into his sleep, was soothing. So much so that she again felt her eyelids grow heavy and her own breathing match his.

She smiled to herself when, several minutes later, she heard the door open, Michelangelo swoon in awe, Donatello hush him, and then the door clicking closed again.

* * *

 _Cover image by RadioJane on DeviantArt_

 _Also a huge thank-you to those who left me such kind reviews. They really mean a lot to me, I love getting feedback. An extended thank-you to 'A Big Fan' as well for the kind suggestion; I'm very appreciative of that!_


	5. Moving Forward

"Splinter-san."

Splinter and Raphael turned to face the Foot soldier scampering towards them. In his grip were two familiar Katana blades, somewhat tarnished but still gleaming. He bowed as he presented them to Splinter. "I believe these belong to your student."

Splinter gratefully accepted them. "Thank you, soldier." He tucked the weapons under his arm.

"May we offer you both a ride?"

Splinter glanced over to Raphael, who was still ogling the Katana blades with depressed, exhausted eyes. "That would be most gracious of you."

The Foot soldier bowed once more before shouting instructions in Japanese at another Foot soldier standing nearby, who ran off immediately. Splinter and Raphael were then led out of Shredder's former sanctuary turned temporary prison, and there they waited for their ride back to the rebellion hideout.

After several moments of silence between them, Raphael finally looked up at Splinter. "Sensei?"

Splinter eyed Raphael.

"I was just thinking... You know that night the warehouse burned down, before Shredder disappeared with Leo?"

Splinter's ears retracted solemnly at the memory.

"Well, uh…" Raphael rubbed the back of his neck. "A lot of it was a blur near the end, but I can still vaguely remember most of it. Except the part of me getting out of the warehouse. I kind of…blacked out around then.

"See, last thing I remember is a whole ton of crates falling on top of me." Raphael stared into a void ahead as he strained to remember the events that followed. "Next thing I knew, I was outside. And I saw someone over me. With a hood over their head."

In response to that, Splinter reached back for the hood of his own robe and pulled it over his head. "Tell me, Raphael," he asked, "did they look like this?"

Raphael glanced up. His eyes widened a little when Splinter smiled back at him.

"Wait…" he stammered. "So it was you then?"

He threw back the hood and refolded his hands behind his back. "You called for my aid, did you not?"

A groundswell of guilt washed over Raphael's soul then as he recalled his mind-controlled self faking panic in his urgent call to Splinter. He pushed it to one side, instead focusing on piecing together the muddled chunks of his memory. "Yeah, I guess. But… I don't know, Sensei."

Splinter arched his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm so convinced I saw someone else." He looked straight up at his Master. "When Karai popped up a few days later, I really thought it was her that had gotten me out. Then when I saw her with that hood on, I just _knew_ it was." Raphael massaged his temple. "It was her I saw, I'm almost sure of it. But…"

Splinter watched Raphael struggle mentally, highly interested in hearing whatever conclusion he would come to.

"It couldn't have been her," he argued with himself. "She didn't come back to New York until after Shredder got to Japan. So why did I see her?"

After a moment's pause as Raphael desperately tried to clear the haze of his memory, Splinter came to a gradual realization. He set a calming hand upon Raphael's shoulder. Raphael, all the while, appeared trapped in his own thoughts to notice him. "My son," Splinter explained gently, "it is possible that you had a form of _yogen_. Or premonition."

Raphael cocked his head, face twisting in mild skepticism.

"It is not uncommon. More often they appear to the _yogen-sha_ , great prophets that can foretell future events. But while many believe this to be a gift only few possess, I believe it is a rare transcendent phenomenon anyone may experience. Especially those on the brink of spiritual transformation." Splinter grinned down at Raphael, whose eyes had become wide and glazed over as he took in all that his Master told him.

"Or," Splinter added more lightly, compelling Raphael to finally focus on his Sensei, "perhaps it is merely a blank in your memory you later filled in something you wished to see."

Raphael was stunned at the latter suggestion. "Wait, you're not implying I _wanted_ Karai to save my shell, are you?"

"Perhaps on a subconscious level, my student." Splinter straightened and stepped forward past Raphael when he noticed the van approaching, leaving a trail of floating dust behind it. "I know you have often distrusted Karai, but it is possible that, deep down, you anticipated her return. As much as you strived to convince your brothers otherwise, surely you did not believe she was entirely incapable of virtuousness."

Raphael glanced away guiltily. He'd never voiced his pessimism directly to Splinter, but it was certainly no secret that he'd had a difficult time embracing Karai as an ally during her three-month absence, and especially so before then. But in truth, he did have slight sympathy for her. If he had been raised by the Shredder, he probably would have turned out just as bad – if not _worse_. It wasn't that he didn't want her to come to their side. It was the lengths his brothers would go to for it. And it was the lengths Shredder would go to prevent it.

The van finally pulled up. A Hamato soldier climbed out and pulled the sliding door open for them. Splinter nodded thankfully and approached. He first laid Leonardo's Katana blades across the seat. Before climbing in after them, he looked back at Raphael, who stood in his place and watched Splinter blankly.

"Are you coming, Raphael?" Splinter called, his voice gentle yet wary.

Raphael's eyes refocused at the question. But instead of complying, he suddenly said, "Actually, Sensei, would you mind if I walked back on my own?"

Splinter furrowed his brow suspiciously.

"I just need some time to myself. To clear my head, you know?"

Eventually, Splinter nodded understandingly. "All right. Be safe, my son." With that, Splinter climbed in. The van door was pulled closed and the vehicle turned and began its descent down the mountain.

Once it disappeared, Raphael finally looked back at the great fortress behind him. Despite the friendly Hamato and Foot soldier now standing guard, it still appeared as ominous as before. The chilling events of last night played vividly in his mind.

But that wasn't what was on the forefront of his thoughts just then. Something else was irking him for a long time now. Something he hadn't done anything about. Not until now.

He marched back into the former Foot headquarters, silently acknowledging the Hamato soldier standing by the door. He'd become familiar enough with these corridors, but the room he was looking for he had yet to pay a visit to. So he searched the dark halls, poking his through every doorway until he found it.

Until, finally, he did. Behind a large steel door, he found a laboratory. It was much smaller and shabbier than the one back in New York. But he saw the familiar candy bar wrappers and yellow sludge scattered all over the stone floor, and he knew this housed none other than Baxter Stockman's experiments.

Raphael strode into the room, his steps calm and vigilant. He wasn't really anticipating any surprises as much as he was reflecting on the long period of time he was detained in a similar laboratory. Even a similar metal slab with leather restraints, he noticed, was at one end of the room. Next to it was a table of containing beakers, flasks, and dishes containing all sorts of chemicals, all next to a jar of brain worms.

His fists clenched. A low growl escaped his throat. Right away, he closed his eyes and breathed. No. He swore to himself that he would neither blame himself nor seek revenge for what he and his family had to endure. But these experiments. These horrible endeavors to subjugate an unwilling mind.

He stormed towards the table, and with one strong, swift tug, he flipped it over, shouting angrily as he did. The contents shattered and spilled all over the floor, reacting strangely with Stockman's disgusting yellow upchucks.

He trudged over to the larger desk on the other side of the lab, where there were piles of notes and notebooks scattered about. It would all go, regardless of its relevance to him. He swiped his arm across the table, violently knocking it all to the ground. With it fell a large beaker containing clear fluid. Whatever it was, as it spilled all over the loose papers, it caused them to disintegrate and emit a stream of smoke, like blowing out a candle.

He imagined Donatello shouting at him, explaining the dangers of knocking over unknown chemicals. He didn't care. He wanted it all gone. Nobody else would suffer.

Scanning the rubble, he nodded in satisfaction. He then noticed the jar of worms had not shattered, the brain worms squirming around uncertainly. He walked over and picked it up off the ground. He didn't blame the little pests. He hated them, but he didn't hate them. They were just the vehicle for the chemical Stinkman had created for Shredder. Still, with all the damage they'd done, he wouldn't risk them being around.

Perhaps the birds were hungry, he thought with a smirk.

* * *

 **~ Three Days Ago ~**

After a night of heavy rain, Splinter was greeted that morning by clear skies and sunshine as he quietly wandered the grounds of where his old dojo once stood.

While his family still fought to overcome their jetlag, Splinter had managed to return to a normal sleep schedule fairly quickly, using his time in the luggage and storage compartment of the plane effectively. It had been a long, awkward flight. His daughter, Miss O'Neil, and Mr. Jones quickly obtained seats on the commercial flight to Tokyo. Splinter, his sons, and (by some miracle) their mutant allies had managed to sneak aboard in the storage compartment of a later flight carrying recalled Japanese cars and car parts. In truth, he was grateful they did not all share the same space as he dreaded the thought of Karai and Raphael creating a thick, tense atmosphere as they shared a confined space, repelled by one another for hours.

His sons sat at far ends of the storage space, stewing in their grave concern for their brother. In the meantime, Splinter entered into deep meditation before falling asleep for the remainder of their flight, attempting to adjust himself to their upcoming time zone. It was only when they arrived that he realized neither Raphael nor Donatello had slept despite Splinter's insistence. Michelangelo had supposedly slept, but only before waking suddenly from a nightmare.

Splinter was glad they were at least resting now. He was both astonished and pleased when, after another long and tiresome drive in a van to Splinter's old village, Karai began leading them up a mountain towards the monastery he had grown up attending with his father and adopted brother, and later his wife and daughter. The pouring rain did little to dampen his spirits, although he could not say the same for his drowsy family, who were asleep on their feet as they were forced to ascend the steep path leading to the Swallow's Nest. Still, when they finally reached the temple, he was even more delighted when they were greeted by the same monks his father had entrusted with his spiritual refinement. He dared not admit it to his sons at risk of becoming compromised, but he had become quite emotional as the memories of his former life came back in crashing waves. The Turtles and their friends, too exhausted from the long journey to follow up on their interest in the sacred significance of the monastery, almost immediately retreated to the rooms the monks had set up for them.

So that morning, awaking with the monks and alerting them should his family be concerned, Splinter left the monastery as the sun was beginning to rise. He walked down the pathway, now damp and somewhat muddy from last night's delude, to the bottom of the mountain and towards his old home. It was not far from the monastery – about a forty-five minute walk altogether at a normal pace. Once arriving, he found the home in surprisingly remarkable condition, possibly more so than when he and his family had inhabited it. The front porch had tall flower pots on either side of the door. The roof had been retiled, and the windows had recently been renovated. Staying hidden, he squinted to see if anybody was inside. Soon after, sensing no movement, he abandoned his curiosity and moved on.

It was when he arrived at his intended location that he nearly choked up. This part of the forest that his dojo had once stood remained untouched. Grass had formed over it, and even a few small trees had been planted. He was silently thankful for that. This land may very well be all there is left of his ancestral Clan.

As he wandered the grounds, he made his way towards the pond he and Tang Shen used to have picnics by with Miwa. There, he noticed something he did not recognize. What it was caused his breath to hitch.

A tombstone.

He neared it, almost certain he knew who it belonged to. Sure enough, once close enough to make out the shodō, it read:

 _Tang Shen_

 _Loving wife,_

 _Loving mother._

The words barely scratched the surface of all that Tang Shen's pure, beautiful soul had to offer. But it was a worthy start.

It was Shen's wish to be cremated, her ashes spread across the waters of this very pond as it harbored so many of their memories together. But the thought of her in that dojo as it burned to the ground… He couldn't bear imagining the state she was in when they finally dug her out. Was there a body left to cremate? He shut his eyes at the image.

Still, over sixteen years, he had come to peace with her departure from this world. He felt her spirit as he meditated, and he saw the same spirit she had possessed in his sons. When he discovered Miwa had survived, and then when she learned the truth and regained her honor, she seemed to suddenly embody everything that had made him fall in love with her mother.

Tang Shen was at peace. He was sure of it. But it did not stop him from falling to his knees and crying before her tombstone. As he did, he felt her spirit drifting around him, comforting him, inspiring him to persevere. _Keizoku wa chikara nari._

When his eyes gradually wandered towards the pond, imagining his wife sitting over a blanket entertaining their baby daughter, his brow furrowed when he caught sight of the lotus blossom growing from the bottom. Lotus blossoms were not native to this part of the island. Tang Shen loved them and would bring them home whenever she returned from her grandfather's home in China. But she'd never tried to grow them here. Where had this one come from?

* * *

 **~ Three Months Ago ~**

Kirby O'Neil was proud of his new business. Buying the antique store under his building had all but cured his phobia of leaving his apartment. Plus he'd always had a slight fascination with an antiquity. It was like an insignificant part of history the world forgot, yet may carry great value to another either for its use or memories associated with it.

He didn't mind sitting behind a counter from ten until six. To him, it was better than leaving the apartment and risking another Kraang ambush. If only he could convince his daughter to take over what he would now call the "family business."

As he was closing up for the evening, a light tap on glass emanated in the silence. Glancing up at the front door of his shop, at first he saw nothing. His blood pressure probably raised a few notches. But he breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw the head of one of the Turtles peering through the small window above the door upside-down. He grinned welcomingly as the Turtle expertly landed in front of the entrance. Mr. O'Neil owed a lot to these mutants; he never objected to their visits.

"Good evening, Mr. O'Neil."

"Leonardo," he acknowledged the Turtles' leader as he entered the shop, though he was surprised to see him. It was normally Donatello stopping by offering his assistance. Presumably to get close to April; that was no secret. "What can I do for you?"

Leonardo rubbed his arm diffidently. "I came to ask a favor."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"April mentioned you sell flowers here?"

Mr. O'Neil arched his brow. He wouldn't have pegged him as a botany enthusiast. "Yes. Over here." He guided Leonardo to a cooled, glass cabinet under strong artificial light. "What are they for?" He smirked when Leonardo blushed. "Or _who_ , rather?"

He hesitated before admitting, "Just a girl." When Mr. O'Neil narrowed his eyes suspiciously, Leonardo hurriedly added, "Not April! Someone else."

Mr. O'Neil nodded, letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He respected the Turtles greatly, but he was still a father to a teenage girl. Heck, he didn't really dislike Casey outside of him being an average, rough, underachieving teenage boy getting close with his daughter. It was part of a father's job to protect his daughter. And all that he and April had been through, he had every right to be protective.

"I was wondering how much you knew about them."

Mr. O'Neil smiled. "Quite a lot actually. You know, I'm quite the aficionado for unique flowers. If we didn't live in the city, I'd love to grow a garden of rare and foreign floras."

"Right," Leonardo said awkwardly. "So…do you have any that grow in Asia? Maybe from Japan?"

"Hmm…" Mr. O'Neil eyed his collection of potted plants. "I don't think I have any indigenous only to Japan. _But_ ," he quickly pointed to one near the corner, "this one is native to a lot of parts of Asia. It's considered sacred there." He grinned as he seemed to peak Leonardo's interest, watching the Turtle as he leaned in and stared at the flower. "It symbolizes purity, beauty, grace, knowledge, and serenity." He coughed after realizing how he sounded. "Or…so I hear."

Leonardo smiled. "It's perfect."

 **~ Thirty Minutes Later ~**

Karai entered her room that evening, head hanging and mind a buzz. The confrontation with Raphael had left her in a daze. She hadn't known anything about what the Turtles had endured after her accident in Stockman's laboratory. To learn about it any other way probably wouldn't have made a difference, but to hear it from Raphael, the least trusting of the four brothers, somehow made it more impactful. Leonardo would have tried to brush it off as no big deal, Donatello would have dismissed it as a thing of the past, and Michelangelo would probably try to distract her, as well as himself, by showing her his comic book collection again.

She glanced up at the provisional room that would serve as her bedroom for the time being. She could tell, upon her arrival, the Turtles didn't really know how to make things hospitable for a human girl despite countless visits by April. Really, she was just glad to be free of her mind-control prison; she could sleep in the sewer tunnels for all she cared. But they had done their best to make her accommodations as comfortable as possible. A mattress had been set up for her, complete with blankets and pillows. A small nightstand with a lamp was on one side, and some fresh towels and slippers hung from a chair. On the other side of the bed was a lotus flower…

Wait. That was new.

Curiously, Karai walked over to the flower in the cache pot that had not been there before she went to brush her teeth These were rare in the Western part of the world. The petals were a light shade of pink, beautiful next to the flickering candlelight she had lit earlier. Something about the flower brought back memories she never thought she had. Years of looking at photos of her mother suddenly came to life, with Tang Shen and her father waving a similar lotus blossom above her, then throwing it into her tiny hands. The image of her father, however, was a blur.

Next to the lotus was a note. Karai picked it up and raised it to eye level. The candlelight illuminated enough light for her to make out the handwriting.

'Welcome home,' it read.

She smiled. She'd seen Splinter's English handwriting, which wasn't nearly as neat as his Japanese shodō. It wasn't Donatello's as she'd seen his notes sprawled all over his work desk in his lab, and she highly doubted Michelangelo's writing was nearly as neat. As for Raphael… With all the tension between them, she didn't expect such a thoughtful homecoming gift from him.

There was only one person in her life that would go so far out of his way to make her feel at home. She gently touched one of the petals of the lotus blossom.

Suddenly, the words on the page began to blur in front of her. Only then did she realize her eyes were hazing over with a thick layer of tears. She blinked, and they escaped the corners of her eye, slowly trickling down her cheeks and off her jaw. She choked back a sob, afraid of being heard. What had come over her?

" _This isn't who you are!"_

" _I know you're confused, but you know the truth."_

Leonardo's words resonated with her since. Although the mind-control chemical had since been eradicated from her body, her mind was still scrambled. Yet she wasn't convinced it was the chemical causing it.

" _You've let us down too many times."_ Now it was Raphael's voice in her head. _"You're way too unpredictable, and I really can't trust you around my family."_

Karai had to squat down, her head suddenly pounding, the tears streaming down her face now. The damage she had caused. She knew Shredder; she knew what he was capable of, what he was willing to do in the name of vengeance for her mother's death. But she hadn't thought about what he'd have done to avenge her own mutation.

Vengeance. Anger. Scheming. Destruction.

" _Sooner or later, Shredder's going to want to take revenge again."_

No doubt about it. But enough was enough.

It was time to take a stand.

* * *

The afternoon brought clear skies as Raphael finally reached the hut. The walk to clear his head had worked, although now he couldn't wait to find a bed to sleep on. Or any flat surface at this point.

"Come on, bro, throw it over. I'm freezing!"

"Not until you say it."

Raphael smiled to himself. It had only been a few hours, but it was nice to hear his brothers' cheerful voices.

A loud groan from Michelangelo. "Al right, I'm sorry I splashed you guys."

"And?"

"Aw, come on, don't pull a Raph! Just throw me the towel; I'm getting frost bite."

"Highly unlikely," replied Donatello.

Raphael got through the thicket just in time to see Donatello toss a towel to Michelangelo, who immediately wrapped it around his soaking wet body. "Seriously, that's way colder than it looks," he groaned, glaring at the pond. "Even sewer water is warmer."

"Not nearly as clean though," April reminded him.

"Thanks for making sure, Mikey," Casey joked with a smug grin. Michelangelo simply glared back as he dried the back of his head and neck. Raphael was now pretty sure he knew how his brother ended up in the pond.

"Oh, hey Raph," Donatello suddenly acknowledged, only then noticing Raphael standing on the other side of the pond. "Where've you been this time?"

Raphael shrugged. "Nowhere important," he assured them.

He looked around to see nearly all of his family and friends casually hanging around the pond, the sun now shining brightly above their heads. Slash sat upon the same boulder as before, eyeing the scene deeply indulged and humored, while Leatherhead had his feet dipped in the pond, watching a toad on a lily pad, his large scaly tail swaying back and forth in silent delight. April was sat upon a log just by the dock, wringing her ponytail dry of presumably some of the pond water Michelangelo had splashed in her and Donatello's direction. Casey and Donatello stood on the dock with Michelangelo, the latter glowering as the former laughed at his own prank. Some Foot and Hamato soldiers had also joined them outside as well, many of them having sustained recent battle wounds that have since been treated. They all lingered in back, also enjoying Raphael's brothers and friends' tomfoolery.

"Yo, Raph, you should totally go for a swim," Casey offered manically, raising his hands and curling his fingers as Raphael came to joined them.

Raphael stopped where he was immediately, sending Casey a warning glare. "Don't even think about it, Jones."

Michelangelo dropped his towel and suddenly lunged at Casey. "Your turn, _sucka'_!" Casey's reflexes, however, allowed him to dodge the shove intended for him, causing Michelangelo to stumble forward. He yelped as he tumbled face-first back into the pond. Casey and Raphael shielded themselves from the splash that followed.

Michelangelo resurfaced, looking annoyed. "I'll get you next time, Jones," he jeered in a low, raspy voice. "Next time." He shifted his narrowed eyes back and forth before dejectedly slumping his shoulders. "Aw… Where's Ice Cream Kitty when I need him?"

"How was your walk, my son?" Raphael spun quickly upon hearing his Sensei's voice. He stood only feet away, tall and confident as always, now leaning against his cane. Raphael hadn't even noticed him approach. Judging by the surprised faces of his brothers and friends, neither had anyone else.

Raphael rubbed the back of his head, suddenly growing timid. "Fine, Master Splinter," he returned.

Splinter left it at that after a nod of acknowledgement. Raphael silently thanked him for respecting his wish to keep it between the two of them.

Michelangelo climbed out of the water again. When he reached for the towel, however, Casey managed to quickly swiping it away. "Come get it, _sucka'_!" he exclaimed before running off. Michelangelo growled before chasing after him.

"Would you two quit it already?" Donatello droned, eyes still red from exhaustion. "Seriously, what are you running on? Plutonium?"

When Casey ran past, Splinter snatched the towel away and handed it to Michelangelo as he came to a stop next to him. " _Phew_ , thanks Sensei." He accepted it before sticking his tongue out at Casey.

As a light wave of laughs emanated from the group, including Slash, April, and a few of the Hamato and Foot soldiers, it was only April to gradually turn her attention away from the scene and towards the hut. Only then did she notice them, catching them emerging slowly and carefully through the door and onto the porch. When she did, she gasped and immediately shot to her feet.

Everybody else reacted similarly upon finally realizing who had finally joined them.

Karai barely acknowledged the crowd of people staring in her direction with a small smile, instead focusing on the fragile task at hand. His arm was draped over her shoulder, and she had a gentle grasp of his wrist, tentatively avoiding where the bandages protected the raw, exposed flesh. Her other arm was wrapped tightly around back of his shell. Although she supported him, much of his weight was sustained by his own two feet. As of now, he managed to balance himself with her aid as well as that of the doorframe until they both came into the afternoon sunshine.

Michelangelo dropped his towel where he stood. "Leo!" he exclaimed ecstatically, running to greet his brother, eyes wet and mouth stretched in a wide grin.

Donatello's legs pumped forward instinctively, catching up to his little brother just before he made it to the rickety staircase leading up to the porch. He used his Bo staff to stop Michelangelo from tackling Leonardo to the ground. "Easy there, Mikey," he urged, voice gentle and sympathetic. It wasn't his wish to keep them apart – especially understanding full well exactly how Michelangelo was feeling at the moment; but the last thing they needed was Michelangelo getting too rough.

Leonardo smiled. "It's all right, Don," he insisted.

Donatello ignored him and hurried up the steps to his side. "I'll help you down," he said to his brother, but really he found himself directing the comment to Karai.

"I got it," Leonardo assured him.

He ignored him and attempted to maneuver himself under Leonardo's other arm. "Here, just let me-"

Donatello was surprised to be abruptly pulled back down the steps and out of Leonardo's way. "Yo, Don, _relax_ ," Raphael implored. "He's fine." Again, this somehow seemed to be directed towards Karai, to whom Raphael nodded to with a grin.

Karai smiled in return and resumed aiding Leonardo down the steps.

"Easy- _Easy_!" Donatello urged. Raphael rolled his eyes. Michelangelo looked as though he were going to burst from the accumulating impatience.

Karai was gentle as she guided Leonardo down one step at a time. He appeared a little shaky on his feet, but with Satoshi behind them watching with a confident grin, nobody really worried about whether it was a good idea for Leonardo to be out of bed.

His appearance would probably indicate otherwise: The bruises and lacerations still littered his arms and legs. Clean bandages still shielded the major ones to his shoulder and chest from further infection. Besides his usual wrist wrappings, his wrists, where shackles once sustained his weight for days, were now wrapped with bandages. On one arm, the gauze was a lot thicker, stabilizing a broken bone inches from his carpals. The claw mark to his face (April cringed at that one) was as stark as ever; it had now congealed to a dark red, glaring against his still-pale green skin.

Nobody mentioned it, but he seemed thinner as well. Perhaps it was because of the injuries and slightly paler complexion, but the more likely and deplorable answer that occurred to them was a lack of nourishment during his captivity. Nobody really felt like asking. Especially seeing how pleased he looked to see them even during his painful struggle to get down four steps.

And that was the brothers' biggest relief.

Throughout the years, the Turtles would often return home with minor to moderate injuries obtained during a game, training exercise, or mission. It was an occupational hazard, almost bound to happen from time-to-time. They'd learned to roll with it, oftentimes even taking pride in it – or at least Raphael did. They never let their wounds get them down, no matter how bad they were. It was a pact they'd all made as children, never running to Splinter and asking him to "kiss it better." At the time, it was their way of proving to him they were tough enough to finally go to the surface. Now, it was their way of urging each other and themselves to keep fighting no matter what.

Leonardo was a shining example of that now. As he finally stepped down onto the weedy cobblestone, he winced only once before brushing it off and looking up at his brothers, Sensei, and friends.

"Hey," he said into the uncanny silence.

Immediately, Michelangelo ignored Donatello and hurled himself forward. Heeding his concerns, however, he stopped directly in front of Leonardo. Karai pulled away to give them a moment. From then on, Michelangelo inched forward at nearly a snail's pace, arms outstretched, and slowly and tentatively draped his arms around his brother's upper body. Only when he noticed Leonardo hadn't flinched reactively did he tighten his embrace. He squeezed his brother and his eyes shut, which didn't stop the tears from flowing out from the corners of them.

Michelangelo choked out an undeliberate sob when he felt Leonardo wrap an arm around Michelangelo in return. He didn't care if it was to return the affection or to maintain his balance. He was just happy to be in the arms of his brother and leader in all things. "It's good to have you back, bro."

Leonardo smiled, warmly embracing his brother with his good arm. "It's good to be back, Mikey."

"Dude, you don't know how worried we were about you," Casey chimed in as April brushed past him in a light jog towards Leonardo. He put up a fair fight against publicizing his softer side, but despite his tough, offhand mannerism, Casey was blinking away tears.

Leonardo tried to pull away, though Michelangelo kept his arms securely around him. He patted his little brother's shell comfortingly. "I'm getting a sense."

Donatello finally came in and pulled Michelangelo's arms away.

"How are you feeling, Leo?" April asked gently, coming to Leonardo's opposite side. "Are you okay?"

Leonardo smiled as he eyed his family and friends. "Better now," he decreed.

That earned him another sudden embrace from Michelangelo, which did cause him to flinch this time as Michelangelo's hand accidentally brushed the wound to his shoulder. Donatello quickly pried Michelangelo off of him again. But it was like trying to get a neodymium magnet off away from a metal pole; Michelangelo just kept pulling towards his big brother. It was long enough for April to give Leonardo a quick and genuine hug before helping Donatello to quell Michelangelo's excitement.

"Leonardo," Splinter finally said, approaching his most dedicated of four pupils. "I am so happy to see you are mending." He eyed the claw mark to his face in deep dismay.

Leonardo straightened as best he could. "Thank you, Sensei." Holding onto Donatello's lower arm for support in case he fell forward, he bowed to his Master.

Splinter felt his heart twist at the formality. As of now, he was not a Sensei congratulating his student on surviving an encounter with the enemy. He was a father experiencing overwhelming relief to see his son alive, safe, and recovering. This father dropped to his knees in front of his son, startling him as he did. His eyes brimmed with tears, and he gently pulled Leonardo into a fatherly embrace.

Very quickly, Leonardo too allowed himself to be overcome with joy and relief as he wrapped his arms around Splinter's furred neck. Leonardo was a rock, but a porous one. Days of isolation from his family, staring directly at a door knowing the only ones to pass through it would be his enemies. Unsure of where he was, uncertain of how he'd escape, growing increasingly doubtful of being rescued as he lost track of time entirely. It wasn't an experience he'd soon forget.

When Splinter pulled away, Leonardo waited for a wise speech or words aimed to hearten. Instead, Splinter inhaled sharply, seemingly overwhelmed. Somehow, Splinter found himself at a loss for a response. So, with his hands still compassionately gripping Leonardo's shoulders, he simply nodded his head before casting his eyes downwards in silence. He strained to contain his emotions and breathe steadily, but all of his exhales were shaky.

His family was concerned. "Sensei?" Michelangelo asked cautiously.

In time, Splinter finally regained his composure, glancing towards Michelangelo reassuringly before returned his gaze to Leonardo. "Forgive me," he requested. They waited for him to follow up with a mild apology and wise, comforting words to cap it off. But it never came. Instead, their Sensei once again began to fight tears as he looked from Michelangelo, to Raphael, to Donatello, to Karai, and finally back to Leonardo. "Forgive me…" he whispered, his voice and body trembling. One of his hands moved up from Leonardo's shoulder to the back of his neck. He looked as though he was going to either fall forward or pull his son into another embrace.

Out of concern for both his Sensei and his brother, Donatello rushed forward and held Splinter's shoulder supportively. Michelangelo did the same. They were surprised when Splinter pulled them all in close. "Raphael," he beckoned softly. His body rigid, Raphael respected his Sensei's request and joined them. Splinter enveloped him in the embrace as well.

The Turtles were stuck in the hinterland between concerned and discomfited. They too were thankful for their reunion and grateful for their endurance, but it wasn't normally their Sensei losing their composure. Master Splinter was never overwrought. Overreacting and overprotective, sure; but not one prone to breaking down emotionally. Especially not in front of them.

But Leonardo, empathetic, shifted beneath the pile of his brothers to signal it was time to comfort their Master. "There's nothing to forgive, Master Splinter." Blinking away his tears, Splinter looked up at Leonardo, who gave him a compassionate smile "You trained us to persevere."

"Yeah," Raphael agreed. "You taught us to look after ourselves and each other."

Splinter, through bleary eyes, nodded his head musingly.

Michelangelo kept his arm wrapped around Leonardo's shoulders. "We would've never stopped looking for you, bro," Michelangelo assured him.

Donatello did the same, more cautious of Leonardo's injuries than Michelangelo was. "Thankfully Karai made it a lot easier to find you."

Leonardo glanced towards Karai with a grateful look. She smiled and nodded in return.

"We're just so glad you're okay."

Leonardo felt his heart flutter. "Thanks, guys." He looked back at where April, Casey, Slash, and Leatherhead watched him, then back towards the Foot and Hamato soldiers gathered around them, choking up at the family reunion. "All of you."

Splinter pushed himself to his feet and grinned down at his family. "I cannot begin to express how proud I am of you all," he decreed.

His family smiled as they exchanged looks with one another.

Splinter eyed Leonardo directly once more. "You are trembling, Leonardo." He stepped back to clear a path between his pupil and the fallen log near them.

The Turtles quickly complied. With Donatello and Michelangelo's help, Leonardo limped over and took a seat on the log by the pond. Anxious eyes were still on him, so he broke the tension: "So, is anybody gonna fill me in on what I missed?"

Michelangelo, of course, was the one to jump forward. "Oh, man, where to start dude?" He plopped himself down on the grass in front of Leonardo so he was directly facing him, crossing his legs tightly in front of him. "You should've seen Shredder's face when we all snuck up on him. _Totally_ didn't see us coming!"

Donatello and Raphael exchanged a look and swallowed back their dread at the dropped name, fearing it may spark horrid memories for their brother. But when they saw Leonardo barely react, instead leaning in interestedly as he listened to Michelangelo prattle on about their successful rescue, they exhaled their tension.

"Dude, it was sa- _weet_!" Michelangelo exclaimed. "You should've seen it. Leatherhead went all savage and stomped on 'em like they were nothing but weeds. And then Slash went _BOOM_ with his mace, _knocked_ 'em all to oblivion!"

As Michelangelo went on, Raphael felt his legs shaking and his head beginning to spin. Judging by Leonardo's concerned eyes suddenly on him, he was probably swaying a little as well. So avoiding the risk of toppling over, he slowly lowered himself onto the ground, keeping his balance with his hand planted atop the log. He leaned his shell against the thick roots of the log protruding outwards. Their stable yet springy nature allowed him to nestle himself comfortably against them.

Donatello followed his lead, taking a seat on the grassy ground next to Leonardo's legs. Despite his nap earlier, he was still physically and mentally beat. The scare with the septicemia earlier wasn't something to glance over.

Michelangelo was still talking, and Leonardo was still listening. But Raphael's vision was beginning to blur, a loud ring resounding in his head. He'd kept himself lucid for too long now. But, desperately, he wanted to stay awake just a little while longer. It had been quite some time since all four of them had been together – and it was the first time his entire family was gathered in a trouble-free environment. But he couldn't anymore. He saw Donatello slowly drifting off as well, resting his head against his arm upon the log. So Raphael leaned his head back against a protruding root and was asleep in minutes.

* * *

 **~ Two Days Ago ~**

Casey Jones eyed the ume tree curiously. He'd been warned repeatedly about the fruit it bore, but they looked so much like the yellow plums in his backyard, he couldn't help himself. So he picked one off a branch, rubbed it on his shirt, inspected it, and took a bite. His face contorted at the sour taste that met his tongue before he quickly spat it out. He rubbed his mouth on his sleeve several times to rid of the remaining taste.

"Hold your arm up higher."

Casey's ears perked up at the voice in the distance, just over the hill ahead. Throwing the ume to the ground and wiping his hands dry on shirt, he trudged up it.

"Like that?"

"Just lower your elbow a bit. …Yup, you got it."

As he ascended the hill, a startling scene came into view over the grass peak, nearly causing his jaw to drop. April was holding a bow and arrow tight in her grip, aimed directly at Karai.

"Um," April's voice wavered, "are you sure this is a good idea?"

Karai smirked. "Trust me, I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Just focus on the target."

"Yeah, but-"

"Focus."

Sighing exasperatedly, she nodded firmly and raised the bow, stretching and extending the arrow back. One eye closed while the other followed the shaft.

"Any eye dominance issues?"

April's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Do you see better from your right eye?"

"Um…no?"

"Then both eyes open."

Without questioning, April complied, returning to a proper stance.

"Spine straight."

Casey watched agape. April was far from a professional archer. Was she actually going to target practice on a person? He considered voicing his concerns, but the last thing they needed was a surprise.

"All right. At the count of three. One…two…"

April's eyes narrowed as she focused them.

"Three!"

With that, Karai threw an apple up into the air as hard as she could. April immediately followed it with her bow and released the string, firing the arrow into the air. The arrow did not strike the apple directly, but it did appear to deflect somewhat during its descent. The apple landed on the grass between her and Karai, bouncing and rolling until coming to a stop, revealing a thick slit through the shiny red skin.

"I got it?" April asked excitedly.

Karai picked up the apple, revealing the gash. "Right there," she pointed out.

April raised her fist into the air. "Yes!"

"Nice work, O'Neil."

She beamed proudly.

"Whoa," Casey finally said from atop the hill, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He watched Karai disappear into the forest before turning to April. "Remind me never to get on your bad side from now on, Red."

April turned to him and smirked. "What do you mean 'from now on'?"

Casey chortled.

"I just hope I didn't hit anything," April suddenly remembered her initial concern, looking towards the thicket of trees in the general direction of where the arrow would have landed.

"Don't worry," Karai said, emerging from the forest with her arrow. "You hit a shrub. There's not much wildlife up here other than plants and insects."

"If you need some more stuff to shoot, might I suggest one of those disgusting yellow plums back there?" Casey suggested, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the ume tree.

Karai laughed. "You're supposed to pickle those, Jones. Not eat them raw. They'll give you a stomach ache."

Casey's expression went blank as he clutched his stomach worriedly.

"Okay, a few more tries, and I think I can hit it," April said with an air of confidence.

Karai smiled before turning to where she'd left her sword and cape next to a nearby tree. "Maybe later, April. Right now I have to meet with Donatello about our plan." April nodded understandingly as Karai adjusted the cape over her shoulders, hooking it secure at the front. "Why don't you practice your Tessenjutsu?"

April suddenly tensed, her shoulders raised to the level of her ears as she cast her eyes down dismally. She reached for her Tessen and raised it to eye level, keeping it folded. She inspected the weapon Splinter had gifted her. It was one of the most humbling days of her life with the Turtles and Splinter, to be offered a treasure that would have belonged to her Sensei's long lost daughter. But that had been before they knew of Miwa's survival. Now, the treasure was rightfully hers. April had no right to hold onto it any longer.

She looked back up at Karai as she had begun packing up the archery equipment. With a deep sigh, April put down the bow and walked up to Karai, holding up the Tessen. "Karai," she said.

Karai turned around. Her face contorted in confusion when she noticed April holding the Tessen out to her.

"I think this belongs to you."

Karai was taken aback at the offer. Her eyes darted from the war fan to April inquisitively.

"Master Splinter said he'd always intended on giving this to you." She offered a sad, genuine smile. "Don't worry; I haven't used it that much. It's not damaged."

As April spoke, Karai continued to eye the Tessen. She felt warmth fill her heart. In truth, she didn't know how much she had meant to her real father. Not being raised by him and certainly not being told the truth about him by Shredder, she knew very little about Splinter. She didn't know what kind of father he would have been to her. Would he have been overprotective? Lenient? Compassionate? Had things been different, would he have been vengeful like Shredder? It never occurred to her how her life would have been different if she'd been raised and trained by Splinter. All that mattered to her was fighting for herself.

She looked up at April, who was watching her repentantly. Finally, after a moment's silence between the two of them, Karai gently pushed April's hands back towards her, closing April's fingers over the Tessen. "No, it belongs to you," she declared with an assuring smile. "You're as much a Hamato as I am."

A look of surprise washed over April's face. Her eyes welled up with tears, her mouth set to a large grin. Before she could restrain herself, she had thrown her arms around Karai in a tight, genuine hug. Karai's body stiffened, surprised by the sudden wave of affection. Eventually, she smiled and patted April's back awkwardly in a lame attempt to return the friendly regard.

April pulled away, eyes still filled with excitement. "I've always wanted a sister," she proclaimed.

Karai laughed. Clearly it was still slightly awkward for her, so she resorted to raising the handful of arrows in her grasp. "So, same time tomorrow?"

April nodded. "Can't wait."

Casey smiled as April waved goodbye and ascended the hill in his direction. "How was that?"

When April stopped next to him, her brow was furrowed in slight bemusement. "Like hugging Raph," she replied before she continued past him.

* * *

"Raph."

Raphael groaned.

"Raph, wake up! Quick!"

The urgency in Donatello's voice startled him out of his sleep. His eyes shot open. "What is it?"

"We've got company," Donatello informed him.

Quickly, he scrambled to his feet after he turned in the direction of where Donatello was looking. Everybody else was doing the same, including the remaining Foot and Hamato soldiers who had all swarmed out of the hut to see who was coming towards their so-called "hideout." Even Leonardo, with Karai holding her hand out for him to grasp in case he lost his balance, was on his feet to formally greet the approaching villagers.

Splinter smiled and was the first to step forward upon laying eyes on his dear friend. "Haru," he saluted with a humble bow.

Matsui-san immediately raised his hand to stop him. "Please, Yoshi," he insisted. "You bow to no one."

Behind Matsui Haru, Raphael recognized the respectable man called Rokurou. This man spoke kindly and genuinely. "Matsui-sensei has informed us of your tales, Splinter-san. Forgive me for my rash accusations earlier."

Splinter shook his head, dismissive of such a trivial thing.

"We are most pleased to know you survived." This from an older, silver-haired woman in a traditional kimono. "We had feared the worst after the tragic passing of dear Tang Shen."

Matsui-san was quick to jump in after that, addressing the entire group of warriors. "I have told the village of your brave fight against the Shredder."

"It is true then?" asked a woman, bracing the hand of a young boy they presumed to be her son. "Has he been defeated?"

Splinter smiled humbly. "Yes," he affirmed. "Oroku Saki is no longer a threat to your peace."

"He is a prisoner in his own fortress," noted a Foot soldier.

Another man in official uniform, the same man Raphael witnessed earlier steering clear of he and Splinter as they sauntered down the village market, cleared his throat. "Then it is time to bring him to justice," he decreed. He bowed to Splinter. "Thank you, Yoshi-san. Long have we lived in the shadow of Shredder's army." He eyed the Foot and Hamato soldiers gathered around behind him. "And thank you all. We had lost all faith in the art of Ninjitsu after it had cast so much evil over our land. You have reminded us of the good it once brought our village."

Yuito, the most passionate of the Hamato soldiers, stepped forward proudly and took a knee. "And we will proudly serve and protect you all from here on."

A wave of satisfaction passed over the villagers. Matsui-san and Splinter grinned in good humor, the latter placing a hand on Yuito's shoulder. "Stand up, noble warrior." The arguably-overzealous soldier complied and bowed to his Clan leader.

Matsui-san, meanwhile, looked directly towards Karai, who was still helping Leonardo stay on his feet. His eyes were alight as he observed her reform. "This must be Miwa," he acknowledged.

Karai straightened, her cheeks turning red. The last time she had seen this man, she had floundered him with harsh accusations of trying to corrupt her by suggesting she may not have been who she thought she was. When she met his gaze now, however, all that tension was gone when he offered her a kind, forgiving smile. She returned it and bowed her head to the village healer, both out of respect and thanks for his recent benevolent services to them.

"You look so much like your mother," he remarked. He then turned to Splinter, adding, "But she has your smile, Yoshi."

Both Splinter and Karai blushed sheepishly.

"Please," said Matsui-san. He sauntered to Leonardo's opposite side and settled his hand upon his carapace. He glanced around at the mesmerized ninja warriors surrounding him. "This is no place for recovering war heroes. All of you, return with us to the village so you may mend in comfort."

"We would gladly open our homes to all of you," remarked the silver-haired woman.

Splinter, on behalf of his family and allies, bowed to the villagers. "Thank you. We are most indebted to you all." Behind him, the Turtles, April and Casey, Slash and Leatherhead, and the Foot and Hamato soldiers all bowed as well.

In no time, everyone was scrambling around to prepare to transport their supplies and the wounded. Karai helped Matsui-san guide Leonardo to the van parked behind the hut, while Raphael and Donatello hurried to help Satoshi collect all of the equipment and medication still residing in the makeshift infirmary.

"Wicked," Casey commented, watching everyone run around like worker ants. "Does that mean no more hiding? 'Cause I've kind of wanted to try that sashimi restaurant in the village."

April gave him a peculiar look, "I thought you hated seafood."

"I do," Casey replied. His brow then furrowed. "Wait, what's sashimi then?"

* * *

Two days had passed since the villagers arrived at their hideout. Upon arriving to the village, there was a great feast awaiting them all in the village town center. (Casey, it turned out, did not like sashimi.) The soldiers were housed in various homes while the wounded, including Leonardo and Casey, were taken to Matsui-sensei's clinic. While April and Casey stayed in the village, Splinter, the Turtles, and the Mutanimals returned to the monastery, though Slash and Leatherhead insisted they were still quite happy outside.

Now, soldiers were healing, the village was celebrating, and ties were forming between clans, mutants, and civilians. And Raphael finally took some time alone with his thoughts again. He was squatted down by another pond. This one was much smaller, not far from where the Hamato dojo once stood. Where he and his brothers rescued their Sensei, then watched him lose all that he held dear. His eyes darted from one fish to another as they swam through the murky waters. A few of them hung around a lone lotus blossom on one end of the pond. It was a little peculiar seeing how there were no others about, but he didn't think twice about it.

They were going home in a few days. He couldn't wait, but he was also going to miss this cultured, deep-rooted corner of the world. He'd grown to like the Hamato and Foot soldiers. He'd made friends with the villagers. He'd quelled the fears the children had of mutants. The fate of his Clan had changed here. As far as they were concerned, the war between the Hamato and Foot was over. And Shredder was out of their lives forever.

He exhaled slowly and heavily after breathing in deeply though his nose. Meditation was finally working.

He was suddenly distracted, however, by the sound of quiet grunting somewhere behind him. When he spun around, he was greeted by nothing but trees and shrubs. He pushed himself to his feet when he heard it again, recognizing who it was immediately.

Hurrying through the forest, he searched until he found him, wandering through the thicket. More like stumbling as he would grab onto adjacent trees for support. Raphael shook his head. Just as they'd warned him not to wander off alone with his leg injury back at April's farmhouse, they warned him again to avoid walking around unaided, or at least out of earshot should he need to call for help. But among the other things he and Leonardo had in common, it was stubbornness and pride. No way would that stop him. If anything, they just set limits for him to push.

"Leo," he finally called.

Leonardo's head shot up from where he was scanning the grounds. Raphael was disappointed to see that he had taken his brother entirely by surprise. And Raphael hadn't exactly exercised stealth. In fact, it seemed like he'd given him a fright. Perhaps Leonardo still had a ways to go in his psychological recovery along with his physical.

"Hey, Raph."

"Should you really be wandering around on your own?"

Leonardo raised his fingers to his lips, grinning surreptitiously. Raphael nodded and grinned as well. Yeah, he thought as much.

"Don won't leave me alone. Thankfully April asked him to help her practice her archery- _ah!_ " Raphael was about to sprint forward when Leonardo cried out suddenly. It turned out he'd stepped on a sharp root sticking out of the ground. Leonardo waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

"How're you feeling?"

Leonardo shook his foot. "Fine; just stubbed it."

Raphael gave him a sassy look at Leonardo's jokey remark.

"Come on, not you too," Leonardo droned seriously. "It's been two days. I'm gonna be fine."

"Dude, if you knew what you put us through... We can't just brush this off like you can."

Leonardo glanced away. Perhaps Raphael had spoken too soon.

"I'm serious, man," Raphael's voice went quiet and empathetic. He settled his hand on Leonardo's carapace. "Maybe it'd help to talk about it. I sort of know what you went through, don't forget." His mind went back to Baxter's destroyed lab. "Shredder…didn't try to control you too, did he?"

"He gave up pretty quick," Leonardo admitted. "I faked it at one point to try and escape. But, I don't know, maybe the chemicals got to me or something. I tried to take him out when his back was turned. Just made him angry. Stupid of me."

Deep down he knew this called for a solemn moment as his brother reflected on a failed leap to freedom, but Raphael laughed instead. It was salty, but somehow derived from some form of deranged humor in the depraved part of his soul. "Yeah, well, I know stupid," he muttered under his breath.

Leonardo, to his guilt, didn't laugh. He instead looked away bleakly.

Raphael shut up after that. After a moment of strung out silence, he finally said, "Look, Leo, I'm so sorry." He hung his head in quiet shame. "It's different when it's just my life. But I shouldn't have risked yours like that. I get why Splinter kept getting me to meditate three or four times a day…"

"Donnie told me what would've happened if you hadn't come when you did."

Raphael's breath shuddered at the awful reminder. When he looked into Leonardo's eyes, he saw the deep, unfeigned gratitude reflected in them.

"Honestly," Leonardo went on, "I was almost sure I would never go home, that I'd spend my last days in that cell without ever seeing you guys again." After having gradually shifted his gaze away, he turned to face Raphael directly once more. "But I kept telling myself: If I'm gonna go down, it won't be without a fight."

Although the thought of losing his brother sent a cold shiver down his spine, the thought of him going down fighting filled him with pride. So his response was a genuine smile, albeit a dejected one. "If that day ever comes, bro," he avowed, grasping Leonardo's shoulder, "I hope I'm fighting right alongside you."

Leonardo smiled, his eyes shining as he silently thanked his brother with them, and clutched Raphael's shoulder in return.

For a second or two, they stood there proudly before one another. Kindred spirits, equally cocky, stubborn until their end. Thinking the other gone for days, then reunited as the fate of their Clan shifted. Overwrought with emotion, it was Raphael to suddenly tug Leonardo forward into his chest, rocking him in a firm embrace, head buried in the crook of his neck. Leonardo immediately wrapped his arms tightly around Raphael in return, nestling his head on his brother's shoulder. Today, their usual hand clasp after a victorious moment would not suffice.

When they broke apart after a suitable amount of time, though they were sure it was probably longer, both hurried to dry their eyes before the other noticed. When they realized it was futile, they shared a light laugh. They raced to recover their wits anyway, subconsciously trying to prove to the other their own resilience.

"So how you holdin' up?" Raphael was first to regain his composure. "Besides the…you know, physical stuff."

Leonardo rubbed the back of his head. "Good. Yeah, I'm, uh…I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the whole Karai thing."

"'She finally fill you in?"

He nodded.

Raphael smirked. "Well, congratulations. Today's the day you get to say 'I told you so.'"

Leonardo chuckled half-heartedly, casting his eyes down to the ground.

Raphael furrowed his brow. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Leonardo said quickly. Too quickly. "It's great. I'm really happy for her."

"Tell that to your face."

Leonardo shrugged it off. "It's no big deal. Just…I thought we'd have a bigger hand in it."

Now Raphael was really confused. "What are you talking about, bro? You're the one who got her out of the mind control."

"No way. She did that on her own." He muttered, "We didn't even need Donnie's cure."

"Listen to yourself," Raphael exclaimed when Leonardo staggered away towards the pond. "You're not giving yourself any credit here. She wouldn't have even known the truth about who her real father is if it weren't for you. Let alone retaliate against Shredder." Raphael came up next to him. "You did your part, man. She just needed some time to figure things out on her own."

Mulling it over, Leonardo finally let out a heavy breath. "Yeah, I know. You're right, Raph."

"Good. Do me a favor and tattoo that on your hand or something."

Leonardo laughed. But as they sat in silence for a while, Raphael saw he was becoming melancholy again. "It's just… She's made a life for herself here now." Leonardo sighed dejectedly, hanging his head. "There'll be nothing for her in New York anymore."

As soon as he said that, Raphael immediately felt sorry for his brother. Over time, as Leonardo matured, his fixation on Karai had become less of a teenage crush and more of a sincere desire to help their Sensei's daughter. Raphael had pestered him a lot about it when he probably shouldn't have; for reasons Raphael had not seen at the time, Leonardo did genuinely care about Karai and her wellbeing. He saw goodness in her. And because Raphael didn't understand it then, he challenged it – even mocked it, without considering the damage he was doing.

But even amidst the selfless compassion that drove Leonardo to doing all he could to save her, Raphael was confident there was still something there outside of simply wanting to reunite Splinter with his daughter. He'd seen the spark in his eyes when she complemented him. He'd seen his cheeks turn red when he embarrassed himself in front of her. Yeah, there was no question about it.

Raphael wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Sure there is. Her father for one thing," he noted smugly. Before his brother could reply, Raphael tightened his grip and added, "Nothing's forever, bro. She can't stay away from you for too long."

Leonardo eventually realized he was being teased. He smirked at Raphael and nudged him.

Out of nowhere, they were suddenly tackled from behind, two arms looping around their necks. Leonardo flinched, while Raphael spun around angrily. Both found themselves looking directly at Michelangelo leaning over them, his grin so wide that his face looked as though it would split in two at any moment. " _Aww,_ this never gets old," he proclaimed.

"Mikey," Raphael warned, but Michelangelo didn't pull away.

"What're you doing here?" Leonardo asked as Raphael shrugged him off of them.

"Looking for you," Donatello replied from behind them. "We were afraid you'd gone wandering off on your own."

"No way," Raphael attested. "He's been with me the whole time."

Leonardo thanked Raphael with his eyes when they fleetingly caught each other's gaze. Donatello didn't question it, and Michelangelo just pulled them both into another tight group hug.

* * *

"No, dude, _Antonio's_ Pizza," Michelangelo annunciated to the monk, who was clearly struggling with his English. "You'll love it. They've got vegetarian pizzas too, so you'll have no problem." He playfully nudged his new Buddhist companion in the ribs. The monk nodded blankly, smiling at the Turtle's sheer enthusiasm.

"Michelangelo," Splinter warned. "Some respect."

Michelangelo hunched forward in mild embarrassment before jumping down off the front porch of the Swallow's Nest, the rucksack bouncing off his shell from where it hung off his shoulders.

"Leave me alone, Don."

"Put the bag down then."

Splinter sighed and rubbed his temple as he heard his sons squabble inside the monastery.

"Geez, should I just lie down? Would that make you happy?"

"It would, as a matter of fact!"

Donatello and Leonardo both stepped out of the monastery and onto the porch, the former carrying a large duffel bag over his shoulder while the latter brooded behind him.

"Leonardo, you must not strain yourself," Splinter instructed. "You still have much healing to do."

Leonardo sighed disgruntledly. "Hai, Sensei."

"All right, I think that's everything," Donatello declared. Recognizing the monks standing by, the tallest Turtle lowered the duffel bag to the floor, turned to the monks, and bowed. " _Arigatou gozaimasu_. You've been most generous- Put it down- _Put it down_."

Leonardo rolled his eyes and dropped the duffel bag. He folded his arms sulkily across his chest. Slash approached and patted Leonardo's shell empathetically before taking the duffel bag to the van parked nearby.

The monks bowed in return. "It was our honor to be hosts to Splinter-san's prodigy."

"Prodigy's probably a strong word," Raphael muttered as he passed by with a rucksack hanging from his shoulder.

"I kind'a like it," Casey nodded, taking the rucksack from Raphael and heaving it into the back of the van, where April dragged it to the corner so there would be room for all of them. "It makes you guys sound like Titans or something."

Leonardo bowed next to Donatello as well. "We cannot thank you enough, _Bhante_."

It had been a week, but the day had come: They were finally going back to New York. Leonardo was doing well psychologically, and he had come a long way physically. The lacerations to his shoulder and chest were still healing, dressed in clean bandages daily, showing no signs of further infection. The claw mark to his face no longer concerned him or his brothers as a potential scar, seeing how it was already beginning to fade. His radial bone would take another few weeks to properly mend itself, so the cast Matsui-sensei set over his lower arm would stay on until then. Other than that, he was his old strong, valiant, determined self again.

Karai suddenly joined them on the deck, a wide grin spread across her face. She stopped between Leonardo and Donatello. "Before we leave," she proclaimed as she seized each of their arms, "there's something I want you all to see."

"Oh, sweet! I love surprises," Michelangelo chimed. "Good ones anyway." He followed Karai closely as she led them through the monastery. The others trailed behind, Raphael meandering in the back as he eyed the Hamato and Foot soldiers that lined their path, maskless and smiling. Many of them even bowed their heads as they passed. It was jarring, but he did take silent pleasure. He could see his brothers relishing in the heroes' welcome as well.

Karai led them into a large room alight with lanterns and blazing candles that surrounded the room, brightening the walls.

"Whoa," Michelangelo sounded.

All four walls were home to a massive, extensive, elaborate mural. As the Turtles looked closer, they saw that it appeared to have been completed over decades, probably centuries, the events of the Hamato Clan's history depicted with each passing age. Splinter smiled as his American students expressed their amazement at the traditionally-painted Japanese paintings. He glanced towards Karai and, upon meeting her gaze, nodded thankfully. Her eyes were alight.

Donatello quickly took fascination with the image of samurai and military soldiers clashing. "Amazing!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know our Clan took part in the Satsuma Rebellion."

Casey Jones, who lingered in the doorway, scratched his head. "Satsumas? So what, like, against tangerines? _Ow_!" He recoiled and clutched his shoulder where April smacked him hard.

Leonardo was entranced as he walked alongside the mural in the chronological direction. Throughout his life, he would listen ecstatically as Splinter told him stories of his Clan's history. Now, he scanned the mural intently, taking in every story each of the paintings told, playing Splinter's words in his mind as though it were yesterday. To see those tales depicted on the wall here – likely etched into this wall immediately following the events – filled him with overwhelming joy. The emotions a whir in his mind threatened tears.

Behind him, Michelangelo gasped. "Guys, look!" he cried.

They did. Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello joined Michelangelo where he stood in front of the edge of the mural. Splinter, watching them, suddenly realized that he did not recognize this part of the mural. The image that bordered it was no longer the image of his grandfather. In fact, there was now something next to it.

What now ended the timeline of his ancestry brought tears to his eyes.

Four figures, green skin and shell backs, in valiant battle stance. Each was clad in blue, red, purple and orange eye masks, the tails wafting behind their heads. They bore their signature weapons: Katana, Sai, Bō, and Nunchaku. Littering their feet were defeated enemies ranging from mutants to robots. Above them, a tall, noble figure of half-man, half-rat towered the victorious scene.

The Turtles, scanning the fresh painting, had fallen silent. Their eyes welled up with salty tears, their mouths forming wide, proud grins.

"Hey Red, there's us!" Casey proclaimed, pointing to the small but poignant representation of himself in the background, in his hockey mask and gear, back-to-back with April holding up her Tessen.

April, too, became emotional, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"This is so cool," Michelangelo finally choked, understanding the weight of seeing the image of him and his brothers alongside those of the many warriors that led to their Sensei becoming the great Master he was. Donatello laid his hand on Michelangelo's shoulder as he too stared up in awe at their life now part of a greater legacy.

Leonardo turned to look at Karai, prompting his brothers to eventually do the same. "Why aren't you here?" he asked.

Karai cast her eyes down. "Maybe someday," she muttered humbly. "When-… _if_ I earn it."

Splinter was the one to interject. "Miwa," he professed, "you have much to be proud of. All on your own, you successfully gathered the surviving members of our Clan, and those exiled Foot soldiers who will fight for peace over power."

Karai nodded, forcing a derisive smile. "Pride is not something I'm overwhelmed with, father," she admitted. "I feel like I have an obligation to both Clans. Although I'm a Hamato, being raised in the Foot… I can't leave them in shambles. I trained with many of those soldiers before they were unfairly exiled."

Splinter frowned at his daughter's lack of confidence in her accomplishments. Karai looked up at her father, eyes filled with humility. She breathed in to speak when-

"For the record, I'd say you've already earned it."

Splinter turned and stepped out of the way so Karai could see the Turtle in full view. Michelangelo grinned agreeably, while Donatello knitted his brow, and Leonardo's mouth hung open in surprise. Raphael ignored his brothers and continued to address Karai, stepping forward. "I mean, come on, you basically resurrected the Hamato Clan, made a peace pact between them and the Foot after centuries of war, and most importantly…" He paused for a theatrical touch. "You saved my family."

Karai's eyes gleamed.

"I never thought I'd say it, but…Karai, I-"

"Wait!" Michelangelo interrupted unexpectedly, fumbling as he pulled out his T-phone. He held it up towards the two of them. "Okay, once more from the top. I need to get all this."

Raphael glared. He inwardly thanked Donatello for knocking Michelangelo's arm down before cutting to the chase. "Anyway, I just- I owe you one. Or, like, a lot really. And…thanks."

He growled at the camera flash and artificial shutter sound that distracted them. Donatello grabbed Michelangelo by the rim of his shell and pulled him back. "You'll thank me later, dude."

Karai smiled. "We'll call it even."

Raphael nodded, grinning as well.

"So, Karai- or, uh…Miwa?" Michelangelo scratched his head. "What are you gonna go by now, anyway?"

Shifting her gaze somewhat, Karai eyed the lotus blossom painted into the background of the mural the Turtles had failed to notice. "I'll get back to you on that."

* * *

Splinter hugged Karai close. "It pains me to leave you now, my daughter."

As they broke their embrace, Karai offered a comforting smile. "It won't be forever, father," she assured him. "I will return to New York before you miss me."

Splinter smiled confidently in return. "Your mother would be proud."

Karai closed her eyes at the mention. She breathed in, maintaining her integrity, before looking back into her father's consoling eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. She sincerely hoped her mother was spiritually with them tonight, and if she was, that she would finally be at peace.

Both of them finally stepped back to get a full view of each other's Clans. It was nighttime now, and the remote Tokyo airstrip they all stood on was vacant. Behind Splinter and his family, the private plane that once belonged to Shredder waited for them to board so it could fly them back to New York. But not before one final goodbye to Karai and the handful of Foot and Hamato soldiers that accompanied her to see them off.

"Later, sis!" Michelangelo said ecstatically. "We'll video chat tomorrow, kay?"

Karai laughed and nodded. No doubt it wouldn't happen, but she'd wait a few days for them to adjust to their time zone. "Goodbye, all of you," she said, bowing alongside the Foot and Hamato soldiers. "Until next time."

They all bowed in return, their hearts filled with despondency over their parting.

The Hamato and Foot soldiers scampered off the private runway after that. Karai began to follow, only to come to a slow stop. Her back was turned for a while, her head hunched forward in hesitation. Finally, she turned around, eyes wide and contemplative until they eventually caught Leonardo's sad gaze. Only then did she find herself returning towards the plane, her steps slow and premeditated. She slowed as she neared him, brushing a side strand of her hair back nervously as she did. Leonardo watched her, his pupils dilated in curiosity and anticipation.

Finally, Karai closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling her head on his shoulder. In his ear, she whispered two words:

"Thank you."

Just as Leonardo was about to fully return the embrace, she loosened her grip and cupped the side of his face in her hand, smiling gracefully. Then, leaning in, she kissed him lightly on the cheek. Leonardo was at a loss for words as she pulled away and hurried off after the Foot and Hamato soldiers without another word.

Casey's head was violently thrust from side to side as an ecstatic April vigorously shook his arm, silently mouthing the words "oh my gosh" over and over. Michelangelo did the same with Donatello's arm, then sharply pulled him into a side embrace.

The plane started up behind them. As they all boarded behind him, Leonardo stayed behind in a daze and stared after where Karai had disappeared across the field and into the darkness.

"Let's go, lover boy." Raphael smirked, tugging at Leonardo's arm in the direction of the plane.

Leonardo eventually followed his brother up the steps, the streak of red across his cheeks clear for everyone to see when he entered the plane's fuselage, where everybody was watching him in pride. Splinter grinned at his son's sheepishness. Raphael chuckled and trapped Leonardo's head in a playful headlock when he wouldn't break out of his stupor.

"Dudes," Michelangelo said as they all settled in their seats and the plane prepared for take-off, "when's our next trip to Japan?"

 **END**

* * *

 _Cover art by RadioJane on DeviantArt._


End file.
